{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,11]],"date-time":"2026-04-11T02:16:11Z","timestamp":1775873771829,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":17,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,18]],"date-time":"2024-04-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1713398400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Bayer Animal Health"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pathogens"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Bartonella henselae is associated with numerous clinical syndromes in people. Cats are the definitive hosts for B. henselae, develop high levels of bacteremia, and are associated with human infections, particularly in the presence of Ctenocephalides felis. Several antibiotic protocols used for the treatment of B. henselae infection in cats have failed to clear bacteremia. The purpose of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of a high-dose pradofloxacin protocol to eliminate B. henselae bacteremia. Bartonella henselae infection was initiated in 8 cats by intravenous inoculation of infected feline blood and then pradofloxacin was administered at 7.5 mg\/kg, PO, twice daily for 28 days, starting 12 weeks after inoculation. Complete blood cell counts were performed prior to pradofloxacin administration and then every 2 weeks for 10 weeks. Bartonella PCR assay was performed prior to pradofloxacin administration and approximately every 2 weeks for 10 weeks and then weekly for 4 weeks. Methylprednisolone acetate (5 mg\/kg) was administered by intramuscular injection to all cats on week 10. The cats remained normal and none developed a hematocrit, platelet count, lymphocyte count, or neutrophil count outside of the normal reference ranges. In the one month prior to pradofloxacin administration, all cats were PCR-positive for Bartonella DNA on at least two of four sample dates; after pradofloxacin administration, all cats were negative for B. henselae DNA in blood on all nine sample dates. The protocol appears to be safe and failure to amplify B. henselae DNA from the blood after the administration of pradofloxacin and one dose of methylprednisolone acetate suggests either an antibiotic effect or the organism was cleared spontaneously.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens13040336","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,18]],"date-time":"2024-04-18T06:21:12Z","timestamp":1713421272000},"page":"336","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Pradofloxacin for Treatment of Bartonella henselae in Experimentally Inoculated Cats"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Michael R.","family":"Lappin","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Companion Animal Studies, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ronan","family":"Fitzgerald","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Elanco Animal Health, Innovation Way, Greenfield, IN 46140, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"96-e21","DOI":"10.1111\/vde.12413","article-title":"Bartonellosis, One Health and all creatures great and small","volume":"28","author":"Breitschwerdt","year":"2017","journal-title":"Vet. Dermatol."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"213","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jfms.2006.05.006","article-title":"Association of Feline Practitioners 2006 panel report on diagnosis, treatment and prevention of Bartonella species infections","volume":"8","author":"Brunt","year":"2006","journal-title":"J. Feline Med. Surg."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"869","DOI":"10.2460\/javma.236.8.869","article-title":"Evaluation of topical application of 10% imidacloprid-1% moxidectin to prevent Bartonella henselae transmission from cat fleas","volume":"236","author":"Bradbury","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"141","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jfms.2008.06.005","article-title":"Prevalence of Bartonella species DNA in the blood of cats with and without fever","volume":"11","author":"Lappin","year":"2009","journal-title":"J. Feline Med. Surg."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"639","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1939-1676.2012.00925.x","article-title":"Bartonella species antibodies and hyperglobulinemia in privately owned cats","volume":"26","author":"Whittemore","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Vet. Intern. Med."},{"key":"ref_6","first-page":"20551169221124910","article-title":"Osteomyelitis associated with Bartonella henselae infection in a young cat","volume":"8","author":"Hui","year":"2022","journal-title":"JFMS Open Rep."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1106","DOI":"10.1111\/jvim.16415","article-title":"Treatment of a cat with presumed Bartonella henselae-associated immune-mediated hemolytic anemia, fever, and lymphadenitis","volume":"36","author":"Nivy","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Vet. Intern. 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Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_11","first-page":"225","article-title":"Effect of doxycycline or orbifloxacin administration on Bartonella spp. and Hemoplasma assay results in naturally exposed cats. Intern","volume":"10","author":"Lappin","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Appl. Res. Vet. Med."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"209","DOI":"10.1111\/jvp.12036","article-title":"Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and therapeutics of pradofloxacin in the dog and cat","volume":"36","author":"Lees","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Vet. Pharmacol. Ther."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"207","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tvjl.2014.06.008","article-title":"Pradofloxacin: A novel veterinary fluoroquinolone for treatment of bacterial infections in cats","volume":"201","author":"Sykes","year":"2014","journal-title":"Vet. J."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"617","DOI":"10.1128\/JCM.01287-09","article-title":"Comparative activity of pradofloxacin, enrofloxacin, and azithromycin against Bartonella henselae isolates collected from cats and a human","volume":"48","author":"Biswas","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Clin. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"177","DOI":"10.1007\/s10633-007-9081-x","article-title":"Retinal safety of a new fluoroquinolone, pradofloxacin, in cats: Assessment with electroretinography","volume":"116","author":"Messias","year":"2008","journal-title":"Doc. Ophthalmol."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e01732-17","DOI":"10.1128\/JCM.01732-17","article-title":"Improvement of Bartonella henselae DNA detection in cat blood samples by combining molecular and culture methods","volume":"56","author":"Drummond","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Clin. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"26","DOI":"10.1186\/1756-3305-6-26","article-title":"A flea and tick collar containing 10% imidacloprid and 4.5% flumethrin prevents flea transmission of Bartonella henselae in cats","volume":"6","author":"Lappin","year":"2013","journal-title":"Parasites Vectors"}],"container-title":["Pathogens"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-0817\/13\/4\/336\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T14:29:48Z","timestamp":1760106588000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-0817\/13\/4\/336"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,18]]},"references-count":17,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,4]]}},"alternative-id":["pathogens13040336"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/pathogens13040336","relation":{},"ISSN":["2076-0817"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2076-0817","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,18]]}}}