Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Severe Tritrichomonas foetus infection with viruses in a 3-month
By Setyo, Laura et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology·2019·Sydney School of Veterinary Science, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Fulminant Tritrichomonas foetus 'feline genotype' infection in a 3-month old kitten associated with viral co-infection.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 3-month-old Bengal kitten was brought to the vet with vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, and not gaining weight for the past eight days. Tests showed a severe infection from a parasite called Tritrichomonas foetus, along with two viruses: feline enteric coronavirus and feline panleukopenia virus. The combination of these infections likely weakened the kitten's immune system, making the parasite infection worse. Treatment details weren't specified, but addressing the viral infections is crucial for recovery.
People also search for: kitten vomiting and diarrhea · Tritrichomonas foetus in cats · feline panleukopenia virus treatment
Abstract
Tritrichomonas foetus is a flagellate protist which commonly causes a waxing and waning large bowel diarrhoea in young cats. We report severe T. foetus infection of the colon, cecum and ileum with concurrent feline enteric coronavirus (FCoV) and feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) in a 3-month-old Bengal kitten with an 8-day history of vomiting, diarrhoea, failure to thrive and coughing. Protozoa filling the lumen and crypts and occasional invading into lamina propria were identified within the affected colon and confirmed by PCR as T. foetus 'feline genotype'. Assessment of faeces by PCR revealed concurrent infection with FCoV and FPV. It is possible that immunosuppression by FPV played a role in the unprecedented T. foetus infection intensity observed histologically. Studies during and after resolution of FPV infection, will be critical to determine if T. foetus co-infection affects long-term prognosis of FPV survivors.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30878079/