Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat survives natural Cytauxzoon felis infection after antibiotic
By Walker, D B & Cowell, R L·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·1995·Department of Veterinary Pathology, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Survival of a domestic cat with naturally acquired cytauxzoonosis.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A cat with a sudden fever and severe illness was found to be infected with a parasite called Cytauxzoon felis, which is known to affect cats. The vet diagnosed the infection by examining the cat's blood and confirmed it with a special test. Treatment included giving the cat fluids and antibiotics, and thankfully, the cat recovered within two weeks. Follow-up tests showed no signs of the parasite in the blood, and the cat remained healthy for over two years after the infection. This case shows that some cats can recover from this serious illness.
People also search for: cat fever symptoms · Cytauxzoon felis treatment · cat parasite infection recovery
Abstract
A cat with acute onset of febrile systemic illness was determined to be infected with Cytauxzoon felis. The diagnosis was made on the basis of cytologic morphology of erythroparasites seen in blood smears and results of microfluorometric immunoassay for serum antibody directed against C felis-parasitized RBC. Treatment consisted of parenteral administration of fluids and antibiotics. The cat recovered within 2 weeks. Circulating erythroparasites were not detected on blood smears from samples collected during follow-up examinations. However, high serum antibody titer persisted for at least 15 weeks after infection. The cat continued to be free of clinical disease 2.5 years after the initial diagnosis. Whether C felis infection persists in this cat has yet to be determined. This case indicates that some domestic cats can recover from naturally acquired cytauxzoonosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7775249/