|
Vaccination of cats against Bartonella henselae
infection |
Incorporation of a B. henselae vaccine (there is as
yet none commercially-available) into the routine kittenhood vaccination
regime may be a useful mechanism to reduce the role of cats as
a reservoir of infection, and thereby, to indirectly protect humans
in contact with cats.
- Results indicate that cats that naturally clear a B. henselae
infection are resistant to later challenge infection, so vaccination
may be an option. (Greene et al., 1996; Regnery et
al., 1996; Abbot et al., 1997)
- However, it's unclear what mechanisms are responsible for
immunity in cats, since they maintain prolonged bacteremia in
the face of a strong antibody response (suggesting that antibodies
alone do not aid in clearing the organism).
