A review of Cystoisospora felis and C. rivolta-induced coccidiosis in cats

• Published in: Veterinary parasitology Vol. 263; pp. 34 - 48
• Main Author: Dubey, Jitender P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 15.11.2018
• Subjects: Animals; Animals, Wild - parasitology; Antiprotozoal Agents - therapeutic use; Besnoitia; Cat Diseases - diagnosis; Cat Diseases - drug therapy; Cat Diseases - parasitology; Cat Diseases - transmission; Cats; coccidiosis; Coccidiosis - veterinary; Cystoisospora felis; Cystoisospora rivolta; Diagnosis; feces; Feces - parasitology; Hammondia; host specificity; Intestines - parasitology; Isospora; Isospora - classification; Isospora - physiology; Isosporiasis - diagnosis; Isosporiasis - drug therapy; Isosporiasis - parasitology; Isosporiasis - veterinary; kittens; Life Cycle Stages; Neospora; oocysts; Oocysts - physiology; parasites; Sarcocystis; superinfection; taxonomy; Toxoplasma; Toxoplasma - classification; Toxoplasma gondii; Treatment; Toxoplasma; Cystoisospora rivolta; Treatment; Diagnosis; Cystoisospora felis
• ISSN: 0304-4017; 1873-2550; 1873-2550
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2018.09.016

•This paper reviews biology of Cystoisospora felis and C. rivolta infections in cats.•Impact of C. felis infections on Toxoplama gondii oocyst excretion is discussed.•Taxonomy of feline Cystoisospora species discussed. Until the discovery of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts in cat feces in 1970, little was known of coccidiosis in cats. Until 1970, three coccidian parasites based on different sized oocysts were recognized, the parasite with large oocysts (∼40 μm long and called Isospora felis), medium sized oocysts (∼25 μm long, called Isospora rivolta), and small sized oocysts (14 μm or less, called Isospora bigemina) were known and they were considered not host-specific. Later, it was demonstrated that these parasites were host-specific and had also extra-intestinal stages. The Isospora bigemina turned out to be more than 25 organisms belonging to T. gondii, Hammondia spp., Sarcocystis spp., Besnoitia spp., and Neospora spp.; these subjects have been reviewed previously in detail. The present paper summarizes biology of Isospora felis, and I. rivolta (now transferred to genus Cystoisospora), including taxonomy, life cycle, diagnosis, and treatment. Re-excretion of T. gondii oocysts from chronically infected cats after superinfection with Cystoisospora felis oocysts is discussed. There are only two species of Cystoisospora species in cats, C. felis and C. rivolta; Isospora novocati and Cystoisospora frenkeli named for I. rivolta-like parasites of cats are considered synonym of C. rivolta. Clinical coccidiosis occurs more commonly in recently weaned kittens and C. felis infections are more prevalent than C. rivolta.