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Hemobartonellosis (haemobartonellosis, feline infectious anemia) is caused by a rickettsial organism, Haemobartonella felis. Rickettsia are microscopic parasites.
A cat with hemobartonellosis experiences depression, weight loss, decrease in appetite and anemia. There may be jaundice associated with this and approximately one-third of untreated cats will die from the infection. Cats that "recover" are usually infected for life but the organism is suppressed by the cat's immune system. Subsequent immune compromise from viruses like feline leukemia, stress or administration of corticosteroids cause a recurrence of the infection. The disease is probably transmitted by blood sucking insects and from infected mothers to their kittens during pregnancy. It may be possible to transmit from bite wounds and blood transfusions as well.
The organism is visible in blood smears of infected cats but it has a tendency to come and go in the blood stream so it is sometimes necessary to make blood smears over the course of several days to identify the parasite.
It can be treated with tetracycline class antibiotics with good success but even treated cats should be considered to be carriers of the disease and may experience recurrences later. Supportive care is often necessary for several days in cats with this condition and during the acute infection if may be necessary to use corticosteroids despite the immune suppression associated with these medications. It is very important to control fleas and other blood sucking organisms in a multiple cat household in which one member is found to have hemobartonellosis. It is a good idea to occasionally do followup bloodwork to make sure anemia is not recurring.