Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
First case of Cytauxzoon infection in a cat from Portugal
By A. Alho et al.·Published in Parasites & Vectors·2016·View original on Semantic Scholar →
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Original publication title: First report of Cytauxzoon sp. infection in a domestic cat from Portugal
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 2-year-old mixed breed male cat from Portugal was brought to the vet because he was very lethargic, not eating, and had a fever. Tests showed he had severe anemia and other blood issues, along with fluid in his chest and abdomen. Further testing identified a tick-borne infection caused by a parasite related to Cytauxzoon, which is concerning because it can be life-threatening. The cat's condition highlights the need for awareness of this emerging disease in domestic cats.
People also search for: cat lethargy and fever · Cytauxzoon infection in cats · tick-borne diseases in cats
Abstract
Cytauxzoonosis is an emerging and life-threatening tick-borne feline disease caused by haemoprotozoan parasites of the genus Cytauxzoon. Information regarding epidemiological and clinical presentation of infections by species other than Cytauxzoon felis is scant. A case of Cytauxzoon sp. infection is described in a 2-year-old mixed breed male domestic cat from Portugal, presenting a history of acute lethargy, anorexia and pyrexia. Complete blood count revealed a severe anaemia, leucocytosis and thrombocytopenia. A pleural effusion was noticed on thoracic radiograph, and marked splenomegaly and free abdominal fluid were visualized by ultrasound. A molecular screening for the detection of causative agents of infectious anaemia was performed, and a positive result for Piroplasmorida was obtained. DNA sequencing of a 743 bp amplicon of the 18S rRNA gene (GenBank accession no. KU710344) revealed 99.9 % identity with Cytauxzoon manul. This is the first report of Cytauxzoon sp. (clustering together with C. manul) in a felid from Portugal. Clinical manifestations along with molecular analysis suggest the hypothesis that domestic cats might be infected with and serve as a reservoir host for C. manul.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Semantic Scholar: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/27160193