Abstract / Summary
Objectives: This study aims to describe seroprevalence of feline haemotropic Mycoplasma spp. in a hospital population, and to analyze possible associations between recent infection and epidemiological and clinical characteristics of interest. Despite the inability to infer direct causality, statistical trends regarding identifiable factors that might impact the resolution of clinical cases were also explored.
Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was devised to analyze the relationship between recent feline haemotropic Mycoplasma spp. infection and epidemiological and clinical characteristics of interest. A total of 134 clinical cases were collected, consisting of cats treated at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital (HEV) of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, that underwent serological screening for haemotropic Mycoplasma spp. between January 1st, 2021, and June 30th, 2024. Potential relationships between a positive immunoglobulin M (IgM) test result and qualitative variables were studied using the Chi-Square test.
Results: The prevalence of positive cases identified during the study period was 23.8% (32/134). A significant association between feline mycoplasmosis and FIV-positive cats and senior animals was observed, as well as a negative relationship between favorable clinical outcome and corticosteroid use. A tendency for positive animals to demonstrate anisocytosis and lymphadenopathy, but a negative relationship with low liver enzymes or total protein levels was also registered. No obvious correlation was observed between mycoplasmosis and the presence of anemia or ectoparasite infestations, confirming the complexity of its clinical and epidemiological profile.
Clinical significance: The results of this study confirm the presence and circulation of this disease's agents in the feline population treated at a veterinary hospital in Lisbon and reinforce the need to adjust the assessment and clinical approach of a positive diagnosis according to the patient's overall condition, plus the importance of monitoring cases with potential for disease reactivation.