Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
PCR test finds Pentatrichomonas hominis in puppies with diarrhea
By Kim, Yun-Ah et al.·Published in The Korean journal of parasitology·2010·National Institute of Health, South Korea·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: PCR detection and molecular characterization of Pentatrichomonas hominis from feces of dogs with diarrhea in the Republic of Korea.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Three German shepherd puppies, aged 2 to 9 months, were brought in for diarrhea while living on a dog farm. Tests on their feces revealed that one female puppy and two male puppies were infected with a protozoan called Pentatrichomonas hominis, which can cause diarrhea. This infection is usually harmless but can lead to digestive issues if it overgrows. The puppies were likely treated with appropriate medications to manage their symptoms, but specific treatment details were not provided.
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Abstract
Pentatrichomonas hominis is considered a commensal protozoan in the large intestine of a number of mammalian hosts, such as cats, dogs, and non-human primates. The resulting infections, which can induce diarrhea, have been attributed to opportunistic overgrowth of P. hominis. This study was performed to confirm the P. hominis infection and its molecular characterization from the feces of puppies with diarrhea. Fecal samples were obtained from 14 German shepherd puppies with diarrhea over 1 week (7 females and 7 males, 2-9 months of age) residing on a dog farm in August 2007. Species-specific PCR assay identified P. hominis 18S rRNA genes in 3 of the 14 puppies (1 female and 2 males; 1 aged 2 months and 2 aged 9 months). This phylogenetic analysis established that P. hominis belonged to the 1st clade, which is comprised of Bos taurus and Felines.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20333280/