Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with acute liver failure caused by Dirofilaria repens infection
By Schwan, E V et al.·Published in Journal of the South African Veterinary Association·2000·Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Dirofilaria repens in a cat with acute liver failure.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 12-year-old cat was brought in with severe liver failure, showing signs of illness. Tests revealed a high number of tiny worms (microfilariae) in the cat's blood and liver, which were identified as Dirofilaria repens, a type of parasite. The cat responded well to treatment with ivermectin, a medication used to kill parasites. This case is notable as it is the first report of Dirofilaria repens in South Africa, highlighting a potential new health concern for cats in the region.
People also search for: cat liver failure symptoms · Dirofilaria repens treatment · ivermectin for cats · why is my cat sick · cat parasite infection
Abstract
Acute liver failure was diagnosed in a 12-year-old cat. Fine needle aspirate cytology revealed high numbers of unsheathed microfilariae and a hepatocellular reaction with no evidence of bacterial infection. The microfilariae were identified as those of Dirofilaria repens by acid phosphatase staining. The high number of microfilariae seen in both the blood and the liver aspirate samples as well as the favourable response to ivermectin amongst other drugs administered, is suggestive that D. repens was the cause of the liver insult. A positive result obtained with an antigen-capture ELISA (Dirochek) for Dirofilaria immitis antigen was interpreted as false. This is the 1st report of Dirofilaria repens for South Africa.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11205171/