Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Better PCR test for detecting Cytauxzoon felis infection in cats
By Schreeg, Megan E et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology·2016·North Carolina State University, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: PCR amplification of a multi-copy mitochondrial gene (cox3) improves detection of Cytauxzoon felis infection as compared to a ribosomal gene (18S).
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A domestic cat infected with the tick-borne parasite Cytauxzoon felis can become very sick quickly, leading to serious health issues or even death. Researchers found that using a specific test targeting a mitochondrial gene (cox3) was more effective at detecting this infection than the previously used ribosomal gene (18S). The new test can identify the parasite even in very small amounts of DNA, which is crucial for starting treatment sooner. This early diagnosis can help improve the chances of recovery for affected cats.
People also search for: cat Cytauxzoon felis symptoms · how to treat Cytauxzoon felis in cats · cat tick disease diagnosis
Abstract
Cytauxzoon felis is a tick-transmitted protozoan parasite that infects felids. Clinical disease caused by acute C. felis infection rapidly progresses in domestic cats, leading to high morbidity and mortality. Accurately diagnosing cytauxzoonosis as soon as possible during acute infection would allow for earlier initiation of antiprotozoal therapy which could lead to higher survival rates. Molecular detection of parasite rRNA genes (18S) by PCR has previously been shown to be a sensitive method of diagnosing C. felis infections. Based on evidence from related apicomplexan species, we hypothesized that C. felis mitochondrial genes would exist at higher copy numbers than 18S and would be a more sensitive diagnostic target. In this study we have designed a PCR assay targeting the C. felis mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit III (cox3). Herein we demonstrate that (1) the cox3 PCR can detect as low as 1 copy of DNA target and can detect C. felis in samples with known mitochondrial sequence heterogeneity, (2) cox3 copy number is increased relative to 18S in blood and tissue samples from acutely infected cats, and (3) the cox3 PCR is more sensitive than 18S PCR for detection of C. felis during early infections.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27369587/