Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Feline Tritrichomonas foetus infection resistant to ronidazole
By Gookin, J L et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2010·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Documentation of in vivo and in vitro aerobic resistance of feline Tritrichomonas foetus isolates to ronidazole.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Two male Abyssinian cats were treated multiple times for a stubborn intestinal infection caused by Tritrichomonas foetus, but they did not improve with the usual medications. However, one of the cats cleared the infection after just one treatment with ronidazole, a drug that has shown effectiveness against this parasite. The study found that some T. foetus strains were resistant to ronidazole, which could explain why some cats don’t respond to treatment. This highlights the need for more research into alternative treatments for this infection, as current options may not work for all cats.
People also search for: cat trichomoniasis treatment · Abyssinian cat diarrhea medication · ronidazole for cat infection
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The mainstays of treatment for clinically important trichomonad infections are the 5-nitroimidazoles. Metronidazole resistance of feline Tritrichomonas foetus is presumed because of common treatment failure, and tinidazole does not consistently eradicate infection. To date, ronidazole is the only drug demonstrated as effective for treatment of cats infected with T. foetus. OBJECTIVE: To document in vivo treatment failure and identify underlying causes and in vitro conditions of resistance of feline T. foetus to ronidazole. ANIMALS: Two intact male Abyssinians failing>or=5 courses of treatment with increasing doses of 5-nitroimidazole drugs. An intact male Abyssinian documented to clear infection after treatment with a single course of ronidazole. METHODS: T. foetus isolates were cultured from feces and tested in vitro for susceptibility to ronidazole under aerobic and anaerobic culture conditions. A urogenital nidus of T. foetus infection was investigated by culture, polymerase chain reaction, or immunohistochemical testing of urogenital specimens. RESULTS: Resistance to ronidazole under aerobic conditions was uniquely identified in T. foetus isolated from cats with well-documented treatment failure. Treatment failure could not be attributed to reinfection, inappropriate treatment protocol, or presence of a urogenital nidus of infection. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Clinical resistance to metronidazole, low efficacy of tinidazole, and present documentation of in vivo and in vitro resistance to ronidazole in some cats are consistent with a high level of cross resistance of feline T. foetus to 5-nitroimidazole drugs. Current lack of alternative drugs with clinical efficacy against feline T. foetus suggests that active investigation of other treatment approaches is warranted.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20492492/