Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How common is Cytauxzoon felis infection in healthy cats in Arkansas
By Rizzi, Theresa E et al.·Published in Parasites & vectors·2015·Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Prevalence of Cytauxzoon felis infection in healthy cats from enzootic areas in Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study found that 6.2% of healthy domestic cats in Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma were infected with Cytauxzoon felis, a parasite that can cause severe illness and even death. The highest rates of infection were in Arkansas (15.5%) and Missouri (12.9%), while Oklahoma had a lower rate (3.4%). This suggests that many cats in these areas may carry the parasite without showing symptoms. To help prevent this infection, it's important for cat owners to use approved tick and mite treatments.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Infection with Cytauxzoon felis in domestic cats can cause fever, lethargy, depression, inappetence, icterus, and often death. With a high mortality rate, cytauxzoonosis was historically considered a fatal disease. Within the last 15 years, cats with or without treatment have been recognized as chronically infected survivors of C. felis infection. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of C. felis in healthy domestic cats from Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. METHODS: Infection with C. felis was determined using DNA extracted from anticoagulated whole blood and PCR amplification using C. felis-specific primers. Chi-square, Fisher's exact tests, and odds ratios were used to compare proportions of cats infected with C. felis. RESULTS: Blood samples were collected from 902 healthy domestic cats between October 2008 and April 2012. DNA from Cytauxzoon felis was detected in 56 of 902 (6.2%; 95% confidence interval, 4.7-7.9) samples. The highest prevalence of C. felis infection (15.5%; 10.3-21.7) was observed in cats from Arkansas, followed by cats from Missouri (12.9%; 6.1-24.0), and cats from Oklahoma (3.4%; 2.2-5.1). Cats sampled in Arkansas and Missouri were 5.1 and 4.2, respectively, times more likely to be chronically infected with C. felis than cats from Oklahoma. CONCLUSIONS: Infection with C. felis is common in domestic cats through Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. The high prevalence of C. felis reported herein suggests that infected domestic cats are likely reservoirs of infection for naive felines. The high prevalence of C. felis substantiates the importance for the use of approved acaricides on cats to prevent cytauxzoonosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25566776/