A
cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the
prevalence of feline
bartonellosis and the associated clinicopathological findings in
cats presented to the
University Veterinary Hospital, Selangor,
Malaysia from 2013–2014. Out of 284
cats examined,
Bartonella DNA was detected in 48 (16.9%)
cats using a specific
polymerase chain reaction (
PCR) assay targeting the internal transcribed spacer of
Bartonella species.
Bartonella henselae strain Houston was identified through BLAST analyses of randomly selected amplicons. Univariable
analysis showed significant
association of feline
bartonellosis with
cats < 2 years of age (OR 1.37, 95% CI 0.982–1.927, p = 0.036) and those presenting with ocular discharge (OR 3.211, 95% CI 1.422–7.248, p = 0.003). Significant
associations of neutrophilia (OR 2.244, 95% CI 1.131–4.452, p = 0.019) and monocytosis (OR 2.476, 95% CI 1.154–5.312, p = 0.017) with
bartonella infection in
cats were observed. This study
reports for the first
time the
prevalence (approximately 17%) of feline
bartonellosis in
Malaysia and highlights several clinicopathological factors associated with the
disease.