Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Fatal Hepatozoon silvestris infection in a domestic cat
By Kegler, Kristel et al.·Published in Parasites & vectors·2018·Institute of Animal Pathology·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Fatal infection with emerging apicomplexan parasite Hepatozoon silvestris in a domestic cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A domestic cat from Switzerland showed signs of lethargy, weakness, and loss of appetite before sadly passing away. A thorough examination revealed severe inflammation in the heart caused by an emerging parasite called Hepatozoon silvestris, which has been linked to fatal infections in cats. This case highlights the potential danger of this parasite, which may be spreading across Europe, as the cat had no history of travel. Unfortunately, despite the investigation, no specific treatment was identified that could have saved the cat.
People also search for: cat lethargy weakness loss of appetite · Hepatozoon silvestris infection in cats · emerging cat parasites in Europe
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Hepatozoon silvestris is an emerging apicomplexan parasite discovered in European wild cats from Bosnia and Herzegovina and blood samples of a domestic cat from Southern Italy in 2017. It has also been identified in Ixodes ricinus collected from a domestic cat in Wales, UK, in 2018. The clinical relevance, pathogenesis and epidemiology of this novel Hepatozoon species are not yet understood. Thus, the objective of this paper was to report and describe the first fatal case of an H. silvestris infection in a domestic cat. RESULTS: The cat, which originated from Switzerland, died shortly after presenting clinical signs of lethargy, weakness and anorexia. At necropsy, no specific lesions were observed. Histopathology of the heart revealed a severe lympho-plasmacytic and histiocytic myocarditis. Mature and developing protozoal meronts morphologically compatible with Hepatozoon species were observed associated with the myocardial inflammation. No other lesions were present in any other organ evaluated, and the cat tested negative for retroviral and other immunosuppressive infectious agents. Polymerase chain reaction from the myocardium resulted in a specific amplicon of the Hepatozoon 18S rRNA gene. Sequencing and BLAST analysis revealed 100% sequence identity with H. silvestris. CONCLUSIONS: The severity of the infection with fatal outcome in an otherwise healthy animal suggests a high virulence of H. silvestris for domestic cats. The presence of this emerging parasite in a domestic cat in Switzerland with no travel history provides further evidence for a geographical distribution throughout Europe.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30029688/