Parasites, Hosts and Diseases

The Korea Society for Parasitology and Tropical Medicine (대한기생충학·열대의학회)
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Two Clinical Cases of Feline Hemoplasmosis in Korea

  • Kim, Young Ju (College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University) ;
  • Bae, Hyeona (College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University) ;
  • Shin, Sun Woo (College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University) ;
  • Cho, ARom (College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University) ;
  • Jeon, Yeseul (College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University) ;
  • Hwang, Tae-Sung (College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University) ;
  • Jung, Dong-In (College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University) ;
  • Kim, Dae Young (Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri) ;
  • Kang, Jun-Gu (Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University) ;
  • Yu, DoHyeon (College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University)
  • Received : 2021.12.22
  • Accepted : 2022.04.10
  • Published : 2022.04.30
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Abstract

Feline hemotropic mycoplasmosis (hemoplasmosis) is an infection of the red blood cells caused by the Mycoplasma haemofelis (Mhf), Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum (CMhm), and Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis (CMt). The existence of Mhf, CMhm, and CMt has been demonstrated in feral cats in Korea using molecular methods, but no clinical cases have yet been reported. This study reports 2 clinical cases of hemotropic mycoplasmosis caused by CMhm and CMt in 2 anemic cats. The first case was a client-owned intact female domestic shorthair cat that presented with fever, pale mucous membranes, and normocytic normochromic non-regenerative anemia. Prior to referral, an immunosuppressive prednisolone dose was administered at the local veterinary clinic for 1 month. The cat was diagnosed with high-grade alimentary lymphoma. Organisms were found on the surface of the red blood cells on blood smear examination. The second case was of a rescued cat that presented with dehydration and fever. The cat had normocytic normochromic non-regenerative anemia. Necropsy revealed concurrent feline infectious peritonitis. Polymerase chain reaction assay targeting 16S rRNA revealed CMhm infection in case 1 and dual infection of CMhm and CMt in case 2. Normocytic normochromic non-regenerative anemia was observed in both cats before and during the management of the systemic inflammation. This is the first clinical case report in Korea to demonstrate CMhm and CMt infections in symptomatic cats.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This research was supported by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning (2020R1C1C1008675).

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