Haemobartonellosis in cats in Ankara, turkey

The paper describes four cases of feline haemobartonellosis (FH) in which anaemia and high fever had been the predominant presenting symptoms. In addition coughing was detected in two cats. FH was diagnosed on the basis of blood smear with Romanowski type stain. Blood samples were withdrawn before treatment (day 0) and after treatment (day 29). Mean WBC. RBC. Hb. PCV, MCV and MCHC values on day 0 were found as 16.2150(.)10(9.)L(-1), 4.7425(.) 10(12.)L(-1). 7.8500 g(.)dL(-1.) 26.2750%, 50.3575 fL and 32.5125 g(.)dl(-1) respectively. Mean WBC, RBC, Hb and PCV values on day 29 were found as 9.2500(.)10(9.)L(-1), 7.2925.10(12.)L(-1), 11.4000 g(.)dL(-1) and 33.75%. respectively. The abnormalities found on routine haematological examination were a mild normocytic-normochromic regenerative anaemia (cat 1 and cat 2). normocylic-hypochromic anaemia (cat 3) and macrocytic-normochromic anaemia (cat 4). mild eosinophilia (13%in cat 1 and 11% in cat 4) and monocytosis (6% in cat 1 and 12.5% in cat 3). All of the present cats were treated with oxytetracycline hydrochloride at a dose of 25 mg(.)kg(-1). Clinical recovery and disappearence of H. felis organisms was observed on day 29. The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical cases of haemobartonellosis diagnosed in Ankara, with a view to establishing the clinical signs and response to treatment. To the present author's knowledge FH has previously not been reported in Ankara, in Turkey,