Mycoplasma Haemofelis: Feline Tiny Blood Parasite

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Mycoplasma haemofelis is the most prevalent erythroparasite in felines (Reagan, 30). This tiny blood parasite is the cause of feline hemotropic mycoplasmosis (FHM), previously known as feline infectious anemia (FIA) (“New: IDEXX…”). Formerly known as Haemobartonella felis or Eperythrozoon felis, these hemoplasma were considered rickettsial organisms until the late 1990’s following 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequence analysis which revealed a closer pylogenetical relationship to the genus Mycoplasma (“Mycoplasma Haemofelis,” Allison).
Though hemoplasmas are generally species specific, morphologically similar infections occur in a variety of other vertebrae species worldwide; reported infections in immunocompromised people also suggest the possibility of zoonotic transmission (Reagan, 30, Allison). In recent reports, an HIV-infected human was discovered to be co-infected with Bartonella henselae and a hemoplasma genetically similar to M. haemofelis; the patient owned five Bartonella spp. positive cats, two of which were positive for M. haemofelis (Allison). Numerous scratch and bite wounds were noted on the human patient, suggesting a route of transmission (Allison).
Hemoplasmas are transmitted by the transfer of infected blood, either through transfusion, contamination, arthropod vectors (fleas, ticks, mosquitos, flies, and lice), or by vertical transmission between a queen and her offspring (Allison, “New: IDEXX…”). As previously mentioned in the case of the human patient, aggressive behavior such as biting and clawing has also been associated with transmission and is supported by studied reporting hemoplasma DNA in the saliva, on gingiva, and on the claw beds of infected felines (“New: IDEXX…,” Allison).
Three mycoplasmas have been...

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