Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with nonhealing skin ulcer due to Trichinella infection
By Saari, Seppo et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc·2008·Department of Basic Veterinary Sciences·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: A nonhealing ulcerative skin lesion associated with Trichinella nativa infection in a cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
An 8-year-old male domestic cat had a nonhealing ulcerative skin lesion near its eye, which led to a diagnosis of a Trichinella nativa infection. The infection likely occurred from eating raw meat, and tests confirmed the presence of the parasite. After the lesion was surgically removed, the cat developed a firm mass in the same area, indicating ongoing inflammation. This case is notable as it is the first documented instance of a cat showing such a skin problem due to Trichinella infection.
People also search for: cat skin ulcer treatment · Trichinella infection in cats · why is my cat's skin not healing
Abstract
Trichinella spp. can infect various domestic and wild species, including companion animals. Infection occurs because of the ingestion of raw meat (e.g., infected prey). In experimental studies, cats have been found to be a very susceptible host to infection by Trichinella spp.; naturally occurring feline infections have also been reported. However, clinically apparent disease seems to be a rare manifestation of this infection in cats. The skin biopsy of an 8-year-old, neutered, male, domestic cat revealed an inflammatory granulation tissue that surrounded a well-preserved cyst that contained a Trichinella sp. larva. Distinct seropositive reaction against Trichinella spp. antigens was demonstrated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot. Immunohistochemistry, by using serum from the infected cat as the source of antibody, showed strong immunostaining of Trichinella spp. larvae. During a 1-year follow-up, a postexcisional local tissue reaction was observed. This manifested as a firm, poorly circumscribed subcutaneous mass adjacent to the eye, which demonstrated clinical features and histopathologic findings indicative of chronic inflammation associated with granulation tissue and fibrodysplasia. Digestion of the muscle biopsy revealed one Trichinella sp. larva, which was identified by multiplex polymerase chain reaction as Trichinella nativa. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first documented case of trichinellosis in a cat with a nonhealing ulcerative skin lesion as the main clinical manifestation of the infection.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18987243/