First description of naturally acquired Tritrichomonas foetus infection in a Persian cattery in Spain

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Full text at PDC
Publication date

2011

Authors
Hernández, Leticia
Arranz-Solís, David
Dado, Diana
Rojo-Montejo, Silvia
Mendoza-Ibarra, Jesús Alberto
Pedraza-Díaz, Susana
Advisors (or tutors)
Editors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Springer Nature
Citations
Google Scholar
Citation
Miró, G., Hernández, L., Montoya, A. et al. First description of naturally acquired Tritrichomonas foetus infection in a Persian cattery in Spain. Parasitol Res 109, 1151–1154 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-011-2359-7
Abstract
Tritrichomonas foetus has been identified as the causative agent of feline intestinal trichomonosis, characterized by clinical signs of chronic large bowel diarrhoea. This disease has been reported in cats from the USA, Europe and Australia. However, its epidemiology is still unclear. The aim of the present study was to describe T. foetus infection in a Persian cattery in Spain. T. foetus infection was sequentially diagnosed in 20 cats by direct faecal smear examined under the microscope, specific culture (In Pouch TF medium) and PCR. A standard coprological sedimentation method was also performed in order to screen for other intestinal parasites in all the cats included. In addition, sera were tested for IgG antibodies against Leishmania infantum, Toxoplasma gondii, and for the detection of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukaemia virus (FeLV). Five out of 20 cats were positive for T. foetus (25%), two of them by microscopy, culture and PCR and three by culture and PCR. No association was found between T. foetus infection and age or sex. L. infantum and T. gondii seroprevalence rates were 15% and 10%, respectively. The prevalence of FeLV p27 antigen and of FIV antibodies in the study population was zero. Cystoisospora spp. oocysts were detected in one cat. These preliminary results show that the transmission of T. foetus infection in cluster conditions may occur between asymptomatic cats and young or immunocompromised animals
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Description
Unesco subjects
Keywords
Collections