Peer-reviewedCC BYVeterinary research communications
Molecular evidence of Bartonella spp. in wild felids from Brazil.
14 affiliations
- 1Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory, Departamento de Patologia, Reprodução e Saúde Única, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" - FCAV/UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil.
- 2Laboratório de Protozoologia e Rickettsioses Vetoriais (ProtozooVet), Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
- 3Panthera Brasil, Poconé, MT, Brazil.
- 4Centro Universitário Univinte, Capivari de Baixo, SC, Brazil.
- 5Ampara Silvestres, Poconé, MT, Brazil.
- 6Instituto Pro-Carnívoros, Atibaia, SP, Brazil.
- 7Bird and Mammal Evolution, Systematics and Ecology Lab, Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
- 8Hospital de Clínica Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil.
- 9Bióloga, Candiota, RS, Brazil.
- 10Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
- 11Tapir consultoria Ambiental LTDA, Gravatal, SC, Brazil.
- 12Axia Energia, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
- 13Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory, Departamento de Patologia, Reprodução e Saúde Única, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" - FCAV/UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil. [email protected].
- 14Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory (VBBL), Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, Faculty of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences Júlio de Mesquita Filho, (UNESP), Jaboticabal Campus, Via Prof. Access Paulo Donato Castellane, s/n, Rural Zone, CEP: 14884-900, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil. [email protected].
Abstract
Among Felidae, domestic cats play a role as reservoirs for Bartonella henselae, Bartonella clarridgeiae, and Bartonella koehlerae. Despite the well-known relationship between Bartonella spp. and domestic cats, to date, there is still a paucity of reports on Bartonella spp. in wild felids. The aim of this study was to molecularly detect and characterize Bartonella spp. in blood and tissue samples from wild felids sampled in Brazil. Among 291 DNA samples (211 blood, 77 spleens and three livers), 3.09% (9/291) were positive in the Quantitative Real-Time PCR (qPCR) assay for Bartonella spp. based on the nuoG gene: 1/44 Leopardus pardalis, 3/61 Leopardus geoffroyi, 1/66 Panthera onca, 1/3 Herpailurus yagouaroundi, and 3/32 Leopardus wiedii. In the phylogenetic analyses, while the gltA sequence detected in L. wiedii grouped with Bartonella henselae, the gltA and ftsZ sequences detected in L. geoffroyi clustered within the same subclade as Bartonella sp. sequences previously identified in wild rodents and associated fleas. These findings reinforce that besides harboring Bartonella species associated with cats, wild felids also may act as accidental hosts for Bartonella species associated with wild small mammals, possibly as a consequence of predation.
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BibTeX
@article{dias2026molecular,
title = {{Molecular evidence of Bartonella spp. in wild felids from Brazil.}},
author = {Clara Morato Dias and Daniel Antônio Braga Lee and João Vitor Dos Santos Alves da Silva and Laura Berger Nunes and Joares Adenilson May Júnior and Vinícius Baggio-Souza and Felipe Bortolotto Peters and Marina Ochoa Favarini and Ana Paula Neuschrank Albano and Suelen Dias Segui and Silvia Resende Terra and Flávia Pereira Tirelli and Jorge Cherem and Hugo Borghesan Morzele and Marcos Adriano Tortato and Adriano Rodrigues Lagos and Felipe Viana Manzano and Tiago Chagas de Oliveira Tourinho and Rosangela Zacarias Machado and João Fabio Soares and Marcos Rogério André},
journal = {Veterinary research communications},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1007/s11259-026-11579-5},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42891877},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Molecular evidence of Bartonella spp. in wild felids from Brazil.
AU - Clara Morato Dias
AU - Daniel Antônio Braga Lee
AU - João Vitor Dos Santos Alves da Silva
AU - Laura Berger Nunes
AU - Joares Adenilson May Júnior
AU - Vinícius Baggio-Souza
AU - Felipe Bortolotto Peters
AU - Marina Ochoa Favarini
AU - Ana Paula Neuschrank Albano
AU - Suelen Dias Segui
AU - Silvia Resende Terra
AU - Flávia Pereira Tirelli
AU - Jorge Cherem
AU - Hugo Borghesan Morzele
AU - Marcos Adriano Tortato
AU - Adriano Rodrigues Lagos
AU - Felipe Viana Manzano
AU - Tiago Chagas de Oliveira Tourinho
AU - Rosangela Zacarias Machado
AU - João Fabio Soares
AU - Marcos Rogério André
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/17
JO - Veterinary research communications
DO - 10.1007/s11259-026-11579-5
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42891877
AB - Among Felidae, domestic cats play a role as reservoirs for Bartonella henselae, Bartonella clarridgeiae, and Bartonella koehlerae. Despite the well-known relationship between Bartonella spp. and domestic cats, to date, there is still a paucity of reports on Bartonella spp. in wild felids. The aim of this study was to molecularly detect and characterize Bartonella spp. in blood and tissue samples from wild felids sampled in Brazil. Among 291 DNA samples (211 blood, 77 spleens and three livers), 3.09% (9/291) were positive in the Quantitative Real-Time PCR (qPCR) assay for Bartonella spp. based on the nuoG gene: 1/44 Leopardus pardalis, 3/61 Leopardus geoffroyi, 1/66 Panthera onca, 1/3 Herpailurus yagouaroundi, and 3/32 Leopardus wiedii. In the phylogenetic analyses, while the gltA sequence detected in L. wiedii grouped with Bartonella henselae, the gltA and ftsZ sequences detected in L. geoffroyi clustered within the same subclade as Bartonella sp. sequences previously identified in wild rodents and associated fleas. These findings reinforce that besides harboring Bartonella species associated with cats, wild felids also may act as accidental hosts for Bartonella species associated with wild small mammals, possibly as a consequence of predation.
SN - 0165-7380
SN - 1573-7446
ER -