First Report of Bartonella HenselaeInfection in a Cat in North Macedonia

The genus Bartonellaare fastidious, Gram-negative intracellular vector-borne bacteria with zoonotic potential. Cats have a crucial epidemiological role in the transmission of Bartonella henselae, the primary causal agent of cat-scratch disease in humans. Here we describe the first report of B. henselaeinfection in a cat in North Macedonia after a suspected Bartonellainfection in a 7-year-old boy. A combination of cultural and molecular methods for detecting B. henselaein the asymptomatic cat was used. A blood sample was cultured on a blood agar plate, where colonies became visible after nine days of incubation. The DNA of a single colony was extracted, and the isolate was confirmed as B. henselaeby sequencing the bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA gene and performing a Bartonella- specific PCR. The phylogenetic analysis demonstrated 100% similarity with B. henselaesequences, clustering on a single branch and establishing a distinct group. This finding indicates that B. henselaeinfection in cats circulates in North Macedonia and may affect feline and human health.