dog and cat assay data sheet
Mycoplasma haemocanis (formerly
Haemobartonella canis)
Test code: B0048
- Ultrasensitive qualitative detection of Mycoplasma
haemocanis
by real time polymerase chain reaction
Mycoplasma haemocanis (formerly
Haemobartonella canis) is a red blood cell parasite that
causes disease mainly in immunosuppressed and splenectomized
dogs. Clinical outbreaks of the disease occasionally occur.
Similar to Mycoplasma haemofelis,
the bacteria can be transmitted from one animal to another by
blood-feeding arthropods such as fleas and ticks. M.
haemocanis infection is a widespread latent disease in
kennel-raised dogs and infection rates can vary from
approximately 30 % to 87 %. Although treatment of infected
dogs with antibiotics may control acute infection, antibiotics
cannot completely clear the bacteria in the blood, resulting
in many infected dogs becoming carriers.
Mycoplasma haemocanis has not been
successfully grown in agar or cell cultures due to its
fastidious growth requirements. Traditionally, diagnosis
relied on microscopic identification of organisms attached to
the surfaces of erythrocytes in Wright-Giemsa-stained
peripheral blood smears. However, this method not only lacks
sensitivity but also is not adequately specific because the
morphology of M. haemocanis can easily be confused
with other microorganisms such as rickettsia. Molecular
detection by PCR is the most sensitive and specific way of
detecting M. haemocanis in the blood of infected dogs
having both acute and latent infections, even during challenge
with immunosuppressive drugs which would prevent detection by
serological techniques.
Utilities:
- Confirm the disease causing agent
- Shorten the time required to confirm a
clinical diagnosis of Mycoplasma haemocanis
infection
- Ensure that dog populations are free of
M. haemocanis
- Early prevention of spread of M.
haemocanis
among a group of dogs
- Minimize human exposure to M.
haemocanis
Specimen requirement: 0.5
ml whole blood in EDTA (purple top) or ACD (yellow top) tube,
shipped overnight at room temperature.
For specimen types other than those listed
here, please call to confirm specimen acceptability and
shipping instructions.
For all specimen types, if there will be a
delay in shipping, or during very warm weather, refrigerate
specimens until shipped and ship with a cold pack unless more
stringent shipping requirements are specified. Frozen
specimens should be shipped so as to remain frozen in transit.
See shipping instructions for
more information.
Turnaround time: 2 business
days
Methodology: Qualitative
real time PCR
Normal range: Nondetected
