{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,26]],"date-time":"2026-01-26T18:47:57Z","timestamp":1769453277994,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":106,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,26]],"date-time":"2026-01-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1769385600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pathogens"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Bartonella henselae is a flea-borne zoonotic bacterium for which domestic cats constitute the principal reservoir. However, contemporary molecular epidemiological data from Portugal remain scarce. This retrospective laboratory study analysed EDTA-stabilised blood samples from apparently healthy cats submitted for routine screening by 74 veterinary centres across mainland Portugal and autonomous regions over an 11-year period (2015\u20132025). DNA extracts were tested using a species-specific TaqMan qPCR assay for B. henselae with an internal extraction control, and a subset of samples was subsequently confirmed by nested PCR followed by Sanger sequencing (ribC). Among 270 cats, 47 tested positive, yielding a qPCR prevalence of 17.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] 13.1\u201322.5). Submissions were predominantly from Northern Portugal, and infection status was not statistically associated with the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) level 2 region (p = 0.478). Infection was more frequent in younger cats (median age 2 years, interquartile range [IQR] 1\u20135; p = 0.037), while sex (p = 0.103) and breed (p = 0.730) were not significantly associated with infection status. These findings support endemic circulation of B. henselae in Portuguese cats at levels comparable to other temperate European regions. The detection of subclinical infection in apparently healthy cats is relevant to transfusion medicine and supports the inclusion of B. henselae qPCR screening in donor selection protocols.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens15020131","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,26]],"date-time":"2026-01-26T08:14:23Z","timestamp":1769415263000},"page":"131","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Molecular Detection of Bartonella henselae in Healthy Cats from Portugal (2015\u20132025): One Health Context and Implications for Transfusion Medicine"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9339-9932","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ricardo","family":"Lopes","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Tr\u00e1s-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal"},{"name":"Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University Institute of Health Sciences (IUCS), CESPU, 4585-116 Gandra, Portugal"},{"name":"CEDIVET Veterinary Laboratories, Lionesa Business Hub, R. Lionesa 446 C24, 4465-671 Le\u00e7a do Balio, Portugal"},{"name":"Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, Unilabs Portugal, Lionesa Business Hub, R. Lionesa, 4465-671 Le\u00e7a do Balio, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-5711-1905","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hugo Lima de","family":"Carvalho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CEDIVET Veterinary Laboratories, Lionesa Business Hub, R. Lionesa 446 C24, 4465-671 Le\u00e7a do Balio, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0206-6903","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Filipe","family":"Sampaio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CEDIVET Veterinary Laboratories, Lionesa Business Hub, R. Lionesa 446 C24, 4465-671 Le\u00e7a do Balio, Portugal"},{"name":"Cytology and Hematology Diagnostic Services, Laboratory of Histology and Embryology, Department of Microscopy, ICBAS-School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto (U. Porto), Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5031-679X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"C\u00e1tia","family":"Fernandes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"AniCura Santa Marinha Veterinary Hospital, R. Dom Henrique de Cernache 183, 4400-625 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7109-1101","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cristina Costa","family":"Santos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"RISE-Health, Department of Community Medicine, Information and Health Decision Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto (U. Porto), Alameda Prof. Hern\u00e2ni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0708-6874","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carlos","family":"Sousa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Molecular Pathology Laboratory, SYNLAB Portugal, Av. Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro, 75A, 1070-061 Lisboa, Portugal"},{"name":"PerMed Research Group, RISE-Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto (U. Porto), 4200-319 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Ana Rita","family":"Silva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Molecular Pathology Laboratory, SYNLAB Portugal, Av. Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro, 75A, 1070-061 Lisboa, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6134-6003","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rita de","family":"Sousa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre of Study of Vectors and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Av. da Liberdade 5, 2965-575 \u00c1guas de Moura, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Hugo","family":"Silva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, Unilabs Portugal, Lionesa Business Hub, R. Lionesa, 4465-671 Le\u00e7a do Balio, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8182-5674","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ana Patr\u00edcia","family":"Lopes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Tr\u00e1s-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal"},{"name":"Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), University of Tr\u00e1s-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0589-3533","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Elsa Leclerc","family":"Duarte","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Medicine, School of Science and Technology, University of \u00c9vora, Polo da Mitra, Apartado 94, 7002-554 \u00c9vora, Portugal"},{"name":"Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development (MED), Global Change and Sustainability Institute (CHANGE), University of \u00c9vora, Polo da Mitra, Apartado 94, 7002-554 \u00c9vora, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6145-7560","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lu\u00eds","family":"Cardoso","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Tr\u00e1s-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal"},{"name":"Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), University of Tr\u00e1s-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7196-4179","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ana Cl\u00e1udia","family":"Coelho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Tr\u00e1s-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal"},{"name":"Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), University of Tr\u00e1s-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Torrej\u00f3n, E., Sanches, G.S., Moerbeck, L., Santos, L., Andr\u00e9, M.R., Domingos, A., and Antunes, S. 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