Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Nasal skin infection from Prototheca zopfii in a cat
By Huth, N et al.·Published in Journal of comparative pathology·2015·Institute of Pathology, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Prototheca zopfii Genotype 2-induced Nasal Dermatitis in a Cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 14-year-old female domestic shorthair cat was brought in with inflammation and skin problems around her right nostril. The vet found that the cat had a rare infection caused by a type of algae called Prototheca zopfii, which led to significant irritation and inflammation of the nasal skin. After confirming the diagnosis through tests, the vet was able to identify the specific strain of the algae. Treatment details were not provided, but recognizing this infection is crucial for proper care.
People also search for: cat nasal dermatitis treatment · cat skin problems around nose · Prototheca infection in cats
Abstract
Few published cases of feline protothecosis exist; all of these were restricted to the skin and speciation of the causative organism revealed an infection with Prototheca wickerhamii in each case. This report describes Prototheca zopfii genotype 2-induced inflammation of the nasal skin and cutaneous mucosa of the right nostril in a 14-year-old neutered female domestic shorthair cat. Microscopical examination revealed marked pyogranulomatous inflammation with numerous intralesional algae. These had a round to ovoid shape, were 8-21 μm in diameter, formed endospores and displayed a positive immunoreaction for Prototheca zopfii antigen. By 18S rRNA gene amplification and sequencing the intralesional algae were confirmed as Prototheca zopfii and further characterized as Prototheca zopfii genotype 2. This case report reveals Prototheca zopfii as an additional Prototheca species associated with feline protothecosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25814431/