Pre-weaning morbidity and mortality of llamas and alpacas

Objectives   To describe the morbidity and mortality patterns and identify factors associated with morbidity in pre-weaning llamas and alpacas.
Design   Cross-sectional observational study of 287 crias born on four farms in Ohio, USA
Procedure   Historical data representing all crias born over a 6-year period were obtained from two llama farms and two alpaca farms in Ohio. Multivariable generalised linear mixed effects regression models were used to identify factors associated with morbidity outcomes.
Results   In total, 105 (37%) of the llamas and alpacas had some reported morbidity during the pre-weaning period, and mortality rate was 2.1%. In addition, 51 (18%) of llamas and alpacas experienced morbidity because of infectious disease, and 47 (16%) experienced morbidity during the neonatal period. The three most commonly reported morbidity events were undifferentiated diarrhoea (23%), umbilical hernia (16%) and unspecified infectious disease (15%). Difficult birth was an important risk factor for pre-weaning morbidity in this population.
Conclusions   Camelid veterinarians and their clients can expect that pre-weaning health events are common among crias, although mortality is low. Crias experiencing difficult births may require additional monitoring for health events during the pre-weaning period.     

Psychological well-being of Australian veterinarians

Objective   To use established psychological scales to measure levels of distress, anxiety and depression in veterinarians, and compare these levels between different veterinary subgroups and other professional groups.
Methods   A cohort of veterinarians was identified through contact with veterinary schools in Australia. Participants completed a self-reporting questionnaire that included queries about general health and demographics, psychological well-being, job-specific perceptions of health, dispositional characteristics and social support.
Results   Of the 2125 respondents who completed the psychological questionnaire, approximately one-third reported poor psychological health. Increasing age, increasing time in current job, increasing years since graduation and male gender was associated with fewer signs of distress, anxiety and depression. Compared with the general population, veterinarians experienced more negative emotions at work, but were similar to other professional groups.
Conclusions   Poor psychological health is common in the profession and professional veterinary bodies may wish to consider providing training in dealing with work-related distress, anxiety and depression.     

Failure to acknowledge high suicide risk among veterinarians

A high suicide risk has been reported among veterinarians in comparison to the general population. Postulated causes have included depression, substance abuse, work-related stress, reluctance to admit psychiatric problems, and access to lethal drugs and/or familiarity with euthanasia. Members of the Student Chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), all veterinarians licensed in Alabama, and all US veterinary-association executive directors were surveyed regarding their attitudes concerning mental health issues, including veterinarian suicide. Only 10% of veterinary student respondents (N=58) believed that suicide risk is higher among veterinarians than in the general population. Of the 22 state associations' executive directors who participated in the survey, 37% believed that suicide is a significant concern for veterinarians and only 44% indicated that a veterinary wellness program was available in their respective states. Of the 1,455 licensed veterinarians in Alabama, 701 responded to the survey; 11% of respondents believed that suicide among veterinarians was a problem. In addition, 66% of respondents indicated that they had been "clinically depressed," but 32% of those with depression had not sought treatment. More females (27%) than males (20%) admitted that they had "seriously considered suicide" (p<.01). Female veterinarians were more likely than male veterinarians (15% versus 7%) to indicate that they were "not sure they'd made the right career choice" (p<.001), and 4% of all respondents indicated "definitely not being happy with their career." It is of concern that veterinarians not only have a higher risk of suicide but that they also have fewer support structures. The wide discrepancies between the published risk of suicide for veterinarians and their own views of their risk suggests an inadequate awareness of their own mental health vulnerability which could put them at higher risk.     

Work-related stress in the veterinary profession in New Zealand

AIM: To investigate sources of work-related stress in the veterinary profession in New Zealand, perceptions of levels of stress being experienced, and the social support that veterinarians are using to manage work-related stress. METHODS: A postal survey was distributed to 1,907 veterinarians registered with the Veterinary Council of New Zealand (VCNZ). The survey collected information on respondents' age, gender, type and number of people in the workplace, stress levels, depression, suicidal thoughts and attempts, causes of stress and sources of support. RESULTS: Nine hundred and twenty-seven (48.6%) veterinarians returned useable responses. Veterinarians who were retired, working overseas or did not provide information about their type of work were excluded from the analysis, leaving data from 849 (44.5%) veterinarians. Women experienced more work-related stress and depression than men, veterinarians in small animal/mixed practice reported more stress and depression than those in other types of work, and younger veterinarians experienced higher levels of stress than older veterinarians. The main sources of stress were hours worked, client expectations, and unexpected outcomes. Respondents were also stressed by the need to keep up their knowledge and technical skills, and by personal relationships, finances and their expectations of themselves. Most respondents reported that they had good networks of family and friends to help them deal with stress. In general, respondents tended to rely on informal networks such as family and friends, other veterinarians and workmates to provide support. The small proportion of respondents who reported clinical depression or suicidal thoughts or attempts were more likely than respondents in general to have used health professionals, counselling, pastoral/spiritual support and the Vets in Stress phone line, but less likely to have sought support from employers and workmates. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need for a wide range of strategies to manage work-related stress among veterinarians. Sources of stress in the workplace must be identified and strategies developed to control those which present a significant hazard. Strategies may include attention to workloads and working hours, design of work processes, and increasing social support. Training in work-related skills such as communication, conflict management and stress management may be helpful where lack of these skills is contributing to stress. Support services such as help lines and mentor schemes are also available and information about these needs to be more accessible.     

The zoonosis-prone veterinarian

A study of 1,182 Illinois veterinarians revealed that 833 had experienced an accident, and of these 833, 42.7% also had experienced a zoonosis. Brucellosis and animal bites were especially prevalent zoonoses. This percentage differed significantly (P less than 0.01) from the 32.4% of 349 accident-free veterinarians who had experienced zoonoses. The prevalence of zoonoses was even higher (50%) among veterinarians with a history of 3 or more accidents. The prevalence of 16 nonzoonotic health conditions was similar in veterinarians who had experienced an accident and in the total veterinary population, demonstrating a degree of specificity to the accident-zoonosis association. Of the subjects studied, 5.7% had experienced 16.5% of the events, accidents or zoonoses. The subgroup that had experienced 5 or more events and the subgroup that experienced no events differed in many characteristics from the total veterinary population. The biological importance of the characteristics of these veterinarians remains to be determined. The hypothesis was advanced that zoonoses can be considered occupational accidents in veterinarians and that certain veterinarians are zoonosis prone. If true, this hypothesis also might apply to certain communicable diseases in the general human population.     

Pre‐operative and Operative Difficulties During Bovine Caesarean Section in Belgium and Associated Risk Factors

The aim of this study was to describe the difficulties encountered during caesarean section (CS) in practice on mainly Belgian Blue (BB) cows and to identify the associated risk factors. Data were collected using a questionnaire completed by veterinarians of the Ambulatory Clinic of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University (Belgium), immediately after performing a CS. Results revealed that the BB breed had fewer severe pre‐operative problems than animals of other breeds, most probably due to the fact that CSs in this breed are performed in a very early stage of parturition. Mild as well as severe difficulties were more likely to happen during surgery in cows that had undergone a CS before. Cows at their second or third surgery had a significantly higher proportion of larger calves and more skin scar tissue was present, both increasing the risk of abdominal wall muscular and uterine haemorrhage. These factors can all lead to problems with exteriorization and suturing of the uterus; hence special attention is needed when performing a CS on a cow which has experienced the procedure before. The more experienced veterinarians were less likely to report difficulties during the operation than less experienced surgeons.     

Prevalence of and Risk Factors for Postoperative Ileus after Small Intestinal Surgery in Two Hundred and Thirty-Three Horses

Objectives— To determine the incidence of postoperative ileus (POI) in a population of horses after small intestinal surgery and the effect of multiple variables on development of POI.
Study Design— Case series.
Animals— Horses (n=233) aged ≥1 year that had exploratory celiotomy for small intestinal disease that recovered from surgery from 1995 to 2005.
Methods— Sixty-eight variables were collected from medical records (1995–2005) for each horse. POI was defined as nasogastric reflux volume >20 L over 24 hours or >8 L at any single time after surgery.
Results— Twenty-seven percent (64/233) of horses developed POI; 29 of 64 (46%) horses with POI had duodenitis proximal jejunitis (DPJ). When no intestinal resection was required at surgery, excluding horses with DPJ, 15% of horses had POI; 30% horses had POI after intestinal resection. Ten percent of horses had POI for >24 hours. When horses with DPJ were excluded, factors associated with increased risk of POI included high packed cell volume at hospital admission ( P =.024), increasing age ( P =.0004), and length of intestinal resection ( P =.05).
Conclusions— Risk factors for POI in this study were nonspecific although horses with intestinal resection are at higher risk compared with horses without intestinal resection.
Clinical Relevance— Predicting with certainty which cases will develop POI remains elusive.     

Antimicrobial use in the Australian pig industry: results of a national survey

Objective   To describe how various antimicrobials are used in commercial pig herds in Australia and for what disease conditions.
Procedure   Managers of large pig herds (> 200 sows) across Australia and their veterinarians participated in an internet-based survey in 2006. Questions were asked about herd management, the occurrence of bacterial diseases and the type and frequency of antimicrobial use. An antimicrobial usage index for each herd was derived as a summary of the risk of selection for antimicrobial resistance. Relationships between responses were explored with univariate and multivariate analysis.
Results   Responses were received for 197 herds estimated to represent at least 51% of all large pig herds in Australia. Most piggeries relied on drugs of low importance in human medicine (e.g. tetracyclines, penicillins and sulfonamides). For the two drugs of high importance in human medicine that can be legally prescribed to pigs in Australia, ceftiofur use was reported in 25% of herds and virginiamycin in none. Infections attributed to Lawsonia , Mycoplasma and Escherichia coli motivated the most use of antimicrobials. No useful association was found between management factors and the antimicrobial use index.
Conclusion   Most antimicrobial use in the Australian pig industry is based on drugs of low importance to public health. Enhanced control of E. coli infections without reliance on antimicrobials would further reduce the risk of selecting for antimicrobial resistance relevant to public health. The amount of variation in the usage index between herds suggests that antimicrobial use should be constantly reviewed on a herd by herd basis.     

Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence in veterinarians in Finland: Older age,living in the countryside,tasting beef during cooking and not doing small animal practice associated with seropositivity

Practising veterinary medicine has an inherent risk of exposure to zoonotic agents, including the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. We screened sera of veterinarians authorized to work in Finland for the presence of specific immunoglobulin G antibodies against T. gondii with an enzyme‐linked fluorescent assay, and evaluated potential risk factors for T. gondii seropositivity from extensive questionnaire data with almost 1,300 quantitative variables. We used a causal diagram approach to address the complexity of the life cycle of the parasite and its numerous possible transmission routes, and built a multivariable binomial logistic regression model to identify risk factors that are particularly relevant for veterinarians. The samples and questionnaire data were collected in 2009. Altogether, 294 veterinarians, almost 15% of the Finnish veterinary profession, were included in the study. The median age was 39 years, and the majority, 86%, were women. Altogether, 43 (14.6%; 95% confidence interval: 10.9–19.0) of the 294 veterinarians tested seropositive for T. gondii. According to the final model, veterinarians who were at least 40 years old had 2.4 times higher odds to be seropositive than younger veterinarians; veterinarians who lived in the countryside had 4.0 times higher odds to be seropositive than veterinarians who lived in towns; female veterinarians who tasted beef during cooking had 2.6 times higher odds to be seropositive than male veterinarians who did not taste beef during cooking; and veterinarians who did not do small animal practice had 2.3 times higher odds to be seropositive than those who did. The results illustrate the numerous transmission routes of T. gondii.     

Length of veterinary working life

Objective To estimate the time veterinary graduates spend in private practice and in veterinary work generally, and to determine what factors influence this.
Methods Questionnaires were completed in the sixth year after graduation by 119 veterinarians who had participated in this longitudinal study since starting the veterinary course, and the data were analysed using the SAS System for Windows.
Results Of those who started the veterinary course, 90% graduated, and 96% of these then entered private practice. Five years later 94% (73% in full-time equivalents) were working as veterinarians, and 64% (50% in full-time equivalents) were still in private practice in Australia. Hours, attitudes of principals and clients, and inadequate rewards were the main reasons for leaving private practice. The likelihood of being still in private practice was greater for those who had had significant responsibility for animals before they entered the course, but it was not related to geographical origin (city vs country), age at entry or gender. Women were, however, more likely than men to be working part time as veterinarians. Predictions of veterinary working life were not affected by geographical origin or by previous experience with animals or on farms, but men expected to work longer than women.
Conclusion The average veterinary career, estimated by veterinarians who graduated 5 years earlier, is 24 years in fulltime equivalents for men, and 16 years for women. Almost all (94%, representing 73% in full-time equivalents) still work as veterinarians after 5 years, most of them (76%, representing 59% in full-time equivalents) in private practice. The likelihood of remaining in private practice is related to previous responsibility for animals.     

Serosurvey and Observational Study of US Army Veterinary Corps Officers for Q Fever Antibodies from 1989 to 2008

Since World War II, the military has experienced outbreaks of Q fever among deploying units including recent case reports of Q fever in US military personnel returning from serving in the Middle East during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Occupational exposure and prevalence of Q fever among US Army Veterinary Corps officers have not been examined. A retrospective serosurvey and observational study of 500 military veterinarians were conducted using archived serum specimens from military veterinarians who entered and served between 1989 and 2008 and were tested for exposure to Coxiella burnetii. Corresponding longitudinal health‐related, demographic, medical and deployment data were examined. A total of 69 (13.8%) individuals at military entry and 85 (17%) had late career positive titres. A total of 18 (3.6%) individuals showed seroconversion. Women were more likely to be seropositive after military service [prevalence ratio (PR) 1.96; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.15–3.35] and were also more likely to seroconvert (incidence rate ratio 3.55; 95% CI 1.19–12.7). Women who deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom were more likely to be seropositive (PR 3.17; 95% CI 1.03–9.71). Veterinarians with field service and pathology specialties had the highest incidence rates (7.0/1000 PY; 95% CI 4–12 and 3–19, respectively). This is the first report documenting US military veterinarians' exposure to C. burnetii. Military veterinarians are at risk prior to service, with moderate number of new cases developing during service and most maintaining titres for long periods of time. Women consistently demonstrated higher seroprevalence and incidence levels. As increasing numbers of women enter the veterinary profession and subsequently the US Army, this may warrant close monitoring. This study likely underestimates exposure and risk and does not address chronic health effects, which may be valuable to explore in future health studies.     

Hepatitis E Virus Antibodies in Finnish Veterinarians

We investigated hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections in Finnish veterinarians engaged in different practice specialties and evaluated the effect of different background factors on HEV exposure by examining total HEV antibodies in samples collected from the participants of the 2009 National Veterinary Congress in Helsinki, Finland. Finnish veterinarians commonly have total HEV antibodies with seroprevalence of 10.2%. Of the non‐veterinarians, 5.8% were seropositive. Increasing age was associated with HEV seropositivity, and, surprisingly, the highest HEV seroprevalence (17.8%) among veterinarians was detected among small animal practitioners. Although no positive correlation between swine contacts and HEV seropositivity was found, 22.7% of veterinarians who had had needle stick by a needle that had previously been injected into a pig versus 9.0% of those who had not were seropositive, even though the finding was statistically non‐significant (P = 0.07). Our results suggest that, although contact with swine is a known risk factor for HEV infection, the sources of HEV infections are probably numerous, including travelling abroad and possibly also other reservoirs of HEV than pigs.     

Multivariate analysis of factors associated with post-anesthetic times to standing in isoflurane-anesthetized horses: 381 cases

Objective  To identify anesthesia-related variables which may independently predict time to standing in horses anesthetized with ketamine/diazepam/isoflurane.
Study design  Retrospective case series.
Animals  Three hundred and eighty-one horses.
Methods  Case records were searched for the years 2000–2003 and 381 horses older than 12 months which weighed at least 200 kg were identified. Data were extracted from the records, and only horses that were anesthetized with xylazine, ketamine, diazepam and isoflurane were included in the analysis. Multiple linear regression was used to relate time to standing with demographic, intraoperative and anesthetic variables.
Results  Most (326; 86%) horses recovered unassisted and 55 (14%) were assisted in recovery. The model for unassisted recovery had an R ² of 0.228 with colic ( p  < 0.0001), anesthesia duration ( p  < 0.02), temperature nadir ( p  < 0.02) and duration of hypotension ( p  < 0.0001) being significant predictors of time to standing. The final model for predicting assisted recovery time had an R ² of 0.314 with emergency status ( p  < 0.0001), warm-blood breed ( p  < 0.04) and intraoperative administration of ketamine ( p  < 0.004) being the significant predictor.
Conclusions and clinical relevance  Variables which could be impacted by the anesthetist which would result in a faster time to standing include duration of anesthesia, hypothermia and intraoperative hypotension. However, the contribution of anesthesia factors explained <23% of the variability in recovery time, suggesting that other, more important factors contribute to anesthesia recovery time in horses.     

Veterinarians' preferences for anticonvulsant drugs for treating seizure disorders in dogs and cats

Objective   To identify veterinarians' approaches and concerns when managing canine and feline patients with acute and chronic seizure disorders.
Design   Cross-sectional survey.
Method   A questionnaire was distributed to veterinarians to determine how many dogs and cats they were actively treating for seizures, their anticonvulsant drug (ACD) preferences for treating acute and chronic seizure disorders and whether serum anticonvulsant concentrations and/or biochemical analytes were routinely measured. Additional questions involved the respondent's year and place of graduation and identified concerns they faced when managing patients with seizure disorders.
Results   Phenobarbitone was the most commonly used ACD for managing chronic seizure disorders in both dogs and cats, with 82% of respondents using a combination of phenobarbitone and potassium bromide to manage refractory seizure disorders in dogs. Most respondents (96%) felt comfortable managing seizures in dogs, but only 63% were comfortable managing affected cats. Routine monitoring of serum ACD concentrations and of liver biochemical analytes was performed routinely by 71% and 45% of respondents, respectively. Of the respondents, 86% graduated from Australian universities and of these 53% had graduated after 1985.
Conclusion   Veterinarians identified when to commence medication, whether regular monitoring of serum ACD concentrations and liver enzyme activity was necessary, and if the cost was justified. Veterinarians also identified the need to balance dose rates and side-effects by using combination therapy, and the importance of providing accurate information to clients about what to expect in terms of seizure control for their pet.     

Measurement of transepidermal water loss from clipped and unclipped anatomical sites on the dog

Objectives   To establish a standardised clipping method for the measurement of transepidermal water loss (TEWL) with a VapoMeter® in Beagle dogs and to identify the optimal anatomical site for TEWL measurement.
Procedure   TEWL values obtained from skin sites on five healthy Beagles clipped using two different blade angles (standard vs non-standard) were compared. TEWL values for 48 h were also obtained from seven different anatomical sites that had differing hair density. The hair was clipped in the intensively haired anatomical sites (head, lower and upper back and tail), but not clipped in the sparsely haired sites (ear, inguinal region, footpad).
Results   The TEWL values for the standard and non-standard clipping sites were 6.3 ± 1.31 and 27.2 ± 1.11 g/h/m², respectively. We found the upper back among the clipped sites was the most appropriate site for TEWL measurement over 48 h after clipping, whereas among the unclipped sites the ear was the most appropriate, because the TEWL values from those anatomical sites had the least fluctuation and were less affected by movement.
Conclusion   The clipping method and anatomical site should be standardised in order to minimise the experimental variation in TEWL measurement in dogs.     

Prevalence and patterns of self-reported animal-related injury among veterinarians in metropolitan Kampala

To establish the prevalence, patterns and risk factors of animal-related injuries among veterinarians, self-administered questionnaires were given to 60 veterinarians practicing in metropolitan Kampala. The prevalence of animal-related injuries in metropolitan Kampala was 72% (95%CI, 57~84). Some veterinarians (34%) suffered multiple injuries with a mean and median of 2.1 and 2.0 injuries per veterinarian, respectively. Of a total of 70 self-reported animal related injuries, cattle accounted for 72%, cats for 25%, dogs for 23%, self inoculation for 15% and birds for 13%. Injuries associated with poultry did not require hospital treatment. The upper limb was the most the frequently (68%) injured anatomical body part of veterinarians, and vaccination of animals (25%) was the major activity associated with injury. Animal-related injuries are common among practicing veterinarians in metropolitan Kampala; however, they did not differ significantly based on the veterinarian''s gender, experience or risk awareness.     

Aggressive clients in Dutch veterinary practice

Aggressive clients seem to be becoming more common. This article describes a study in which questionnaires on client behaviour were sent to veterinary assistants and veterinarians in randomly selected practices in the Netherlands. Results showed that 26.4% of the veterinarians and 29.3% of the assistants had experienced aggressive clients in the last year. Age, experience, and sex of the veterinarian or assistant did not influence the frequency with which aggressive clients were encountered. The same was true for the type of veterinary practice (companion animals, farm animals, horses, etc). The risk of encountering aggressive clients was higher among practices in large towns and in practices with a small turnover Of the veterinarians who had encountered aggressive clients at least once in their career, 31% has taken some kind of action after the aggressive encounter Nearly a quarter (24.9%) of veterinary practices have adopted a Risk Inventarization and Evaluation (RI&E) approach to preventing client aggression and 26.6% of practices have adopted another approach. While veterinarians tend not to consider aggression a big problem, they are often open to the suggestion that more attention should be paid to aggression in veterinary practice.     

Prevalence of Antibodies to Coxiella burnetii Among Veterinarians and Slaughterhouse Workers in Nova Scotia

The complement fixation and the microimmunofluorescence tests were used to determine the prevalence of antibodies to Coxiella burnetii, the etiological agent of Q fever, among veterinarians and slaughterhouse workers in Nova Scotia. Seventeen percent of the 65 veterinarians and 12.5% of the 96 slaughterhouse workers tested had complement fixing antibodies to phase II C. burnetii antigen. Forty-nine percent of the veterinarians and 35% of the slaughterhouse workers had an antibody titer of ≥ 1:8 to phase II C. burnetii antigen using the microimmunofluorescence test while 30% of the veterinarians and 14.5% of the slaughterhouse workers had antibodies detected to phase I antigen. Male veterinarians had a significantly higher rate of antibodies to C. burnetii phase II antigen compared with female veterinarians (p < 0.0087). An univariate analysis revealed that positive antibody titers (microimmunofluorescence test) to phase II antigen among veterinarians were significantly associated with exposure to cow, sheep and goat placentas; to stillborn calves, newborn foals, lambs and kids. By multivariate analysis the risk was highest for male veterinarians exposed to sheep placentas.     

Feline Sinonasal Neoplasia: CT Staging and Prognosis with Mega Voltage Radiation Therapy

Introduction:  Megavoltage radiation is considered standard therapy for feline sinonasal neoplasia, but a paucity of published reports and the lack of a staging system based on advanced sectional imaging render accurate prognostication difficult. The aims of this retrospective study on feline sinonasal neoplasia were to adapt or develop a staging system based on advanced imaging, and to further define the prognosis with megavoltage radiation therapy.
Methods:  Medical records were reviewed, and CT images were evaluated by a single radiologist (JBG) and staged using a modified system previously reported for dogs. Further follow‐up information was obtained by telephone interviews with the referring veterinarians or owners.
Results:  Thirty‐six cats received megavoltage radiation for sinonasal neoplasia. Carcinomas (n = 17) and lymphomas (n = 16) were most common, followed by sarcomas (n = 3). A majority of immunophenotyped lymphomas were B‐cell (89%). Diagnostic CT images were available for review on 33 cats. The stage distribution was as follows: T1 (n = 3), T2 (n = 11), T3 (n = 5), T4 (n = 14). Lymphomas were more commonly T2 (n = 8) while a majority of carcinomas were T4 (n = 8). The median survival times have not yet been reached for any stage or disease subtype. The most common cause for euthanasia was local recurrence (15/19, 79%). Four cats that died of other causes lived between 1,124 and 2,322 days.
Conclusions:  Feline sinonasal neoplasia is uncommon, with carcinomas and lymphomas being most frequently encountered. Megavoltage radiation therapy appears to offer improved quality and duration of life for most patients, despite advanced staged at diagnosis in a majority.     

Bartonella henselae seroprevalence in cattle breeders and veterinarians in the rural areas of Aydin and Denizli, Turkey

Bartonella henselae infections are usually detected among people who have close contact with animals. Veterinarians and cattle breeders, in particular, are considered as the risk groups for B. henselae infections. In this study, the seroprevalence of antibodies to B. henselae was investigated in these two groups of subjects in the two cities of Aydin and Denizli, which are located in the same region in the southwest of Turkey. Total antibodies to B. henselae were evaluated by indirect immunofluorescence assay in serum samples taken from 63 cattle breeders and 27 veterinarians. Twenty samples (22.2%) were found to react on 1/64 titre with B. henselae antigens. Bartonella henselae seroprevalence was found to be significantly related to age (P = 0.033) and higher in those living in Aydin (P = 0.047). Age was the only independent factor in multivariate analysis (P = 0.008). Seroprevalence was found to be 2‐fold higher in those people who had had tick contact (P = 0.093). In conclusion, the physicians in the region should consider B. henselae infection among veterinarians and breeders in their differential diagnosis list of fever of unknown origin.