Report of the first clinical case of intestinal trichomoniasis caused by Tritrichomonas foetus in a cat with chronic diarrhoea in Brazil

• Published in: BMC veterinary research Vol. 13; no. 1; p. 109
• Main Authors: Hora, Aline S, Miyashiro, Samantha I, Cassiano, Fabiana C, Brandão, Paulo E, Reche-Junior, Archivaldo, Pena, Hilda F J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central 17.04.2017; BMC
• Subjects: Animals; Antiprotozoal Agents - administration & dosage; Brazil - epidemiology; Case Report; Cat Diseases - drug therapy; Cat Diseases - parasitology; Cats; Diarrhea - drug therapy; Diarrhea - parasitology; Diarrhea - veterinary; DNA, Protozoan - analysis; Enteric pathogen; Feline Tritrichomonosis; Large bowel diarrhea; Male; Protozoan Infections, Animal - diagnosis; Protozoan Infections, Animal - drug therapy; Ronidazole - administration & dosage; Tritrichomonas foetus - genetics; Tritrichomonas foetus - isolation & purification; Large bowel diarrhea; Enteric pathogen; Feline Tritrichomonosis
• ISSN: 1746-6148; 1746-6148
• DOI: 10.1186/s12917-017-1026-3

Tritrichomonas foetus is an emergent and important enteric pathogen of cats, which causes prolonged diarrhoea in cats. This study describes a T. foetus infection in a seven-month-old, entire male domestic shorthair kitten with a six-month history of persistent large intestinal diarrhoea, faecal incontinence, prostration, apathy and weight loss. Parasites were microscopically observed and confirmed by PCR and DNA sequencing. Molecular analyses were carried out comparing the sequence obtained in this study with T. foetus and T. suis. Retrieved from GenBank. After treatment with ronidazole, the cat showed resolution of clinical signs. This is the first clinical case of T. foetus infection in a chronic diarrheic cat in Brazil and South America, confirming the presence of this pathogen in this part of the world and highlighting the importance of this protozoa being considered in the differential diagnosis of cats presenting diarrhoea of the large intestine. Our case report enriches our knowledge on the geographical distribution of T. foetus in cats in Brazil and provides further understanding of the clinical significance of feline intestinal trichomoniasis in this country.