DETECTION OF PATHOGENS IN FELIS CATUS AND CTENOCEPHALIDES FELIS FELIS FROM SAMPLES COLLECTED IN THE METROPOLITAN REGION OF RIO DE JANEIRO

Gabriela Pereira Salça de Almeida; Ester Oliozi Marré; Larissa de Oliveira Santos; Maria Vitoria Santos Pascoal; Anna Carolina Teixeira de Jesus; Dandara Quelho Rosa; Juliana de Moraes Intrieri; DOUGLAS MCINTOSH; Diefrey Ribeiro Campos; THAIS RIBEIRO CORREIA AZEVEDO

Título do Trabalho

Autores

Gabriela Pereira Salça de Almeida
Ester Oliozi Marré
Larissa de Oliveira Santos
Maria Vitoria Santos Pascoal
Anna Carolina Teixeira de Jesus
Dandara Quelho Rosa
Juliana de Moraes Intrieri
DOUGLAS MCINTOSH
Diefrey Ribeiro Campos
THAIS RIBEIRO CORREIA AZEVEDO

Modalidade

Resumo Simples

Área temática

Protozoários e agentes transmitidos por vetores de importância em saúde

Data de Publicação

22/05/2026

País da Publicação

Brasil

Idioma da Publicação

pt-BR

Página do Trabalho

https://www.even3.com.br/anais/x-simposio-internacional-ciencias-veterinarias/1432791-detection-of-pathogens-in-felis-catus-and-ctenocephalides-felis-felis-from-samples-collected-in-the-metropolitan

ISBN

978-65-272-2456-3

Palavras-Chave

Domestic cat, Cat flea, Molecular Biology

Resumo

Domestic cats, Felis catus, especially those that roam freely in outdoor environments, are considerably vulnerable to infestations by various arthropods such as fleas, ticks, mites, and mosquitoes, and consequently are exposed to pathogens carried and harbored by these vectors. Fleas represent one of the most important ectoparasites in veterinary medicine, mainly Ctenocephalides felis felis, the most common subspecies in domestic animals in Brazil and in various parts of the world. Vector-borne diseases have been a growing concern in feline medicine due to their wide geographic distribution, zoonotic potential, and association with hematological and systemic alterations. In Brazil, studies including cats as hosts and interactions with fleas as protagonists are scarce, especially those correlating findings in both species. The objective of this study was to determine the occurrence of pathogens in C. felis felis and in blood samples from cats, infested or not, from the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro. Blood samples from 400 cats were evaluated, 89 of which were parasitized by fleas, and 664 fleas. In the present study, molecular screening for pathogens in cat blood detected Mycoplasma spp. in 18.5% of the samples (74/400), Bartonella spp. in 6.5% (26/400), Rickettsia spp. in 2.75% (11/400), and Babesia spp. 0.75% (3/400), Cytauxzoon spp. 0.5% (2/400), Ehrlichia spp. 0.25% (1/400), and no samples tested positive for Anaplasma spp. However, no suggestive structures were observed in direct blood smear examination for any of the agents sought. In the readings of the buffy coats, structures compatible with morulae and/or inclusions suggestive of the Anaplasmataceae family were observed in 9% (36/400) of the slides, of which only 3.5% (14/400) were concomitantly positive in the qPCR for any pathogen. Mycoplasma spp. species were detected, the most frequent was M. haemominutum with 71.60% (53/74), followed by M. turecensis and M. haemofelis with 20.30% (15/74) and 12.20% (9/74), respectively. Regarding retroviruses, 20.3% (81/400) were positive for FeLV and 3.5% (14/400) for FIV, with 1.5% (6/400) animals positive for both. When analyzing the fleas of the 89 naturally infested animals, Rickettsia felis was the most frequently detected microorganism, with positivity in 69.28% (460/664) of the samples, followed by Bartonella spp. with 12.90% (16/124), FeLV with 10.48% (13/124), and Mycoplasma spp. with 1.61% (2/124) and FIV with less than 1% (1/124) of the samples. No sample showed detection of Babesia spp., Cytauxzoon spp., Anaplasma spp., or Ehrlichia spp. Therefore, the occurrence of pathogens in fleas and cats in the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro, mostly zoonotic, implies the need to implement control measures for these insects and the prevention of infection in cats and humans, focusing on Rickettsia felis due to its high frequency in fleas, considered an emerging disease.

Título do Evento: X Simpósio Internacional em Ciências Veterinárias | X International Symposium in Veterinary Sciences
Cidade do Evento: Seropédica
Título dos Anais do Evento: Anais do X Simpósio Internacional em Ciências Veterinárias (X SINCVET)
Nome da Editora: Even3
Meio de Divulgação: Meio Digital

Como citar

ALMEIDA, Gabriela Pereira Salça de et al.. DETECTION OF PATHOGENS IN FELIS CATUS AND CTENOCEPHALIDES FELIS FELIS FROM SAMPLES COLLECTED IN THE METROPOLITAN REGION OF RIO DE JANEIRO.. In: Anais do X Simpósio Internacional em Ciências Veterinárias (X SINCVET). Anais...Seropédica(RJ) UFRRJ, 2025. Disponível em: https//www.even3.com.br/anais/x-simposio-internacional-ciencias-veterinarias/1432791-DETECTION-OF-PATHOGENS-IN-FELIS-CATUS-AND-CTENOCEPHALIDES-FELIS-FELIS-FROM-SAMPLES-COLLECTED-IN-THE-METROPOLITAN. Acesso em: 06/11/2026