Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cytauxzoon felis infection found in cats from southern Illinois
By MacNeill, Amy L et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2015·Department of Microbiology, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Identification of Cytauxzoon felis infection in domestic cats from southern Illinois.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Two domestic cats in southern Illinois were diagnosed with Cytauxzoon felis infection, a serious disease that can be fatal. The cats showed signs of illness, and tests confirmed the presence of the parasite in their blood and spleen. This finding is important because it highlights the growing risk of this disease in areas where it was not commonly reported before. Pet owners should be aware of the symptoms and seek veterinary care if their cats show signs of illness, especially in regions where Cytauxzoon felis may be present.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to document Cytauxzoon felis infection in domestic cats from southern Illinois. METHODS: Diagnosis of cytauxzoonosis was based upon clinical signs of illness and detection of piroplasms within erythrocytes on peripheral blood smears or schizonts in internal organs consistent with Cytauxzoon infection. Additionally, genomic DNA was extracted from histologic sections of splenic tissue from two cats. RESULTS: The internal transcribed spacer region-1 (ITS-1) and ITS-2 of the C felis genome were successfully sequenced, confirming infection with the organism. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Sequence analysis of C felis DNA isolated from histologic lesions in two domestic cats from southern Illinois show either mixed infection or possible heterozygosity (cytosine and thymine) in ITS-2 at the position equivalent to nucleotide 76 (thymine) in the most commonly isolated C felis ITS-2 sequence. Identification of C felis infection in domestic cats from southern Illinois is a critical finding that raises awareness of this often fatal disease process in an area of the USA where, previously, the disease was only anecdotally reported.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25600081/