Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Tritrichomonas foetus infection causing diarrhea in densely housed
By Arranz-Solís, David et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology·2016·Animal Health Department, Spain·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Tritrichomonas foetus infection in cats with diarrhea from densely housed origins.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats living in crowded environments, such as shelters and breeding centers, were found to have a common cause of chronic diarrhea linked to a parasite called Tritrichomonas foetus. In a study of 93 cats, nearly 39% tested positive for this infection, with younger cats under one year old being more likely to be affected. The researchers monitored these cats over two months and discovered that many of the infected cats intermittently shed the parasite in their feces. This highlights the importance of hygiene and management in multi-cat settings to prevent the spread of this infection.
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Abstract
Tritrichomonas foetus is a protozoan parasite that has been recently identified as a causative agent of chronic diarrhea in domestic cats. Transmission of infection occurs by the fecal-oral route through direct contact among animals. Consequently, feline trichomonosis (FT) is more likely to be present in multi-cat environments. The objective of this work was to study the presence of T. foetus and some associated risk factors in cats from densely housed origins and with a reported history of chronic diarrhea. Animals enrolled in this study were family cats (n=15) acquired from pet shops, shelters or breeding centers and cattery cats belonging to one breeding center (n=28) and two cat shelters (A and B, n=25 each). In the catteries, a follow-up analysis for a period of up to 2 months was also performed to determine the parasite shedding pattern in feces and the incidence of infection. Fecal samples were analyzed using in vitro culture and a PCR technique. T. foetus was detected in a total of 38.7% (36/93) of the cats with chronic diarrhea. Parasite infection was similarly detected in family cats and cattery animals (40% versus 38.4%). In the catteries, the parasite was detected in 50%, 44% and 20% of the animals from the breeding center and shelters A and B, respectively. The follow-up analysis showed that 58.3% of infected cats intermittently shed trophozoites in their feces, with an incidence of 23.1%. Investigation of potential risk factors showed that cats ≤1 year old were more likely to be infected than older cats (57.1% versus 27.3%; P<0.05). No significant differences were found when sex and breed factors were studied. These results confirm the importance of FT as a cause of chronic diarrhea in cats and highlight the relevance of close contact conditions for T. foetus transmission.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27084482/