Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Parasite infection causing hind leg paralysis in cats in Uruguay
By Rivero, Rodolfo et al.·Published in Revista brasileira de parasitologia veterinaria = Brazilian journal of veterinary parasitology : Orgao Oficial do Colegio Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinaria·2011·Laboratorio Regional Noroeste Dr Miguel C Rubino·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Parasite meningomyelitis in cats in Uruguay.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Two cats in Uruguay developed severe hind leg weakness and paralysis due to a parasitic infection affecting their spinal cords. Over about a year, their condition worsened, starting with difficulty walking and leading to total paralysis. Unfortunately, both cats had to be euthanized due to the progression of the disease. A necropsy revealed that the cause was a parasite called Gurltia paralysans, which was found in their spinal fluid and tissues. This case highlights the serious impact of parasitic infections on cats' nervous systems.
People also search for: cat hind leg weakness · cat paralysis causes · Gurltia paralysans in cats · cat meningitis symptoms · cat parasite treatment
Abstract
Two outbreaks of progressive hind limb paresis in cats (Felis catus) caused by parasitic meningomyelitis in Uruguay are reported. The case studies occurred in 2008 and 2009 respectively, in the rural areas of Fray Bentos (33° 07' 40.39'' S) and were characterized by hindquarter paralysis. This paralysis was progressive and had a chronic progression of approximately 12 months until the death or euthanasia of the animals. Clinical symptoms started with ataxia of the hindquarters with lateral side-to-side swaying and culminated in total paralysis. Two animals were sent for necropsy in 2009. The main histopathological findings were severe myelitis in the lumbar spinal cord with perivascular cuffing and white matter necrosis, severe nonsuppurative meningitis with thrombi in subarachnoid blood vessels, and intravascular presence of multiple adult parasites. From the morphological characteristics of the parasites and location in the leptomeninges, the parasite was identified as the nematode Gurltia paralysans.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21961761/