Prevalence of Hemoplasma spp. positivity in potential feline blood donors and study of the association with selected clinical variables

Background

Hemotropic mycoplasmas, hemoplasmas, are epi-erythrocytic parasitic bacteria that can be transmitted through blood transfusion.

Objectives

To study the prevalence of hemoplasma infection of potential feline blood donors and investigate the association between Hemoplasma spp. quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) positivity in blood units and selected variables.

Animals

Seven thousand five hundred seventy-three blood units from 4121 privately-owned potential donor cats.

Methods

Retrospective observational cross-sectional study. The Banco Sangue Animal (BSA)—Animal Blood Bank medical database was reviewed for all feline donations performed in 2022 in Portugal, Spain, and Belgium. Baseline characteristics and results of blood-borne pathogens screening tests were extracted from the medical records.

Results

Two hundred twelve of 4034 Portuguese donor cats and 2 of 70 Spanish donor cats tested positive for Hemoplasma spp. qPCR in 2022 leading to an overall estimated prevalence of 5.2% (95% CI: 4.5%-5.9%) in potential blood donors. Using multivariable generalized estimation equation models, Hemoplasma spp. qPCR was more often positive among blood units issued from male cats (OR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.4-2.6, P < .0001), units positive for FeLV (OR = 2.8, 95% CI: 1.4-5.6, P = .0023), and units collected in winter months (OR = 2.5, 95% CI: 1.7-3.6, P < .0001).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

This study underscores the importance of Hemoplasma spp. and other relevant blood-borne pathogens screening at every donation. Implementing stringent screening protocols is crucial to mitigate the risk of hemoplasma transmission via blood transfusions, thereby safeguarding the health and welfare of cats receiving transfusions.