Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Fatal toxoplasmosis in pregnant cat and her kittens
By Atmaca, Hasan Tarik et al.·Published in Berliner und Munchener tierarztliche Wochenschrift·2013·Department of Pathology·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: A rare case of feline congenital Toxoplasma gondii infection: fatal outcome of systemic toxoplasmosis for the mother and its kitten.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 2.5-year-old mixed breed pregnant cat was brought to the vet for difficulty giving birth. An ultrasound showed five kittens, but three were already dead, leading to an emergency cesarean section. Sadly, the mother cat and the two surviving kittens died shortly after due to a severe infection caused by Toxoplasma gondii, which was confirmed through tests. This case highlights the serious risks of toxoplasmosis, especially in pregnant cats, and the potential for the infection to be passed to their kittens.
People also search for: pregnant cat difficulty giving birth · cat toxoplasmosis symptoms · kitten death after birth · Toxoplasma gondii in cats
Abstract
This report describes a case of fatal systemic toxoplasmosis in a 2.5-year-old mixed breed pregnant cat and its kittens. The pregnant cat was presented to the gynecology clinic with symptoms of dystocia. The ultrasound examination revealed the presence of five fetuses in the uterus, three of which were not alive, and consequently a cesarean section was performed. However, the mother cat and the remaining two live kittens died two and ten days after cesarean section, respectively. Pathologically, severe alveolar edema, tachyzoite-like structures in the alveolar macrophages and multifocal necroses in the lungs of mother cat were observed. An intense Toxoplasma gondii immunopositive reaction was observed in the cytoplasms of alveolar macrophages, bronchial and bronchiolar epithelia, necrotic foci in the lungs, and Kupffer cells of the liver. PCR analyses amplified T. gondii DNA in tissue samples of the mother cat and kittens. The present study provides strong evidence for a transplacental transmission of T. gondii infection with deadly outcome for the mother cat, fetuses and kittens. As to the authors' knowledge, this report is the first case of fatal congenital toxoplasmosis in domestic cats in Turkey.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23758036/