Observed occurrence of Tritrichomonas foetus and other enteric parasites in Australian cattery and shelter cats

J Feline Med Surg. 2009 Oct;11(10):803-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jfms.2009.02.001. Epub 2009 Mar 13.

Abstract

Cattery-housed pedigree cats, located mostly within the USA, have the highest reported prevalence of Tritrichomonas foetus (T foetus) to date. This prospective, multi-institutional, cross sectional study examines the occurrence of T foetus and other enteric parasites in cattery-housed and shelter cats within Australia, where T foetus has only recently been identified. Faecal specimens were collected from 134 cats, including 82 cattery-housed pedigree cats and 52 shelter cats. Faecal examinations performed for most cats included concentration techniques, Snap Giardia test, culture in InPouch medium, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of T foetus ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) genes using species-specific primers. Observed occurrence of T foetus, Giardia species, Isospora species and Toxascaris leonina for cattery-housed cats (and catteries) were 0%, 7.4 (13.8)%, 10.9 (22.6)% and 1.6 (3.2)%, respectively. Observed occurrence of T foetus, Giardia species, Isospora species and hookworms for shelter cats were 0%, 11.5%, 9.8% and 4.9%, respectively. These results suggest the prevalence of T foetus in cattery-housed cats is currently much lower in Australia than in the USA, while Isospora and Giardia species infections are common.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animal Husbandry / statistics & numerical data
  • Animals
  • Australia / epidemiology
  • Breeding / statistics & numerical data
  • Cat Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Cat Diseases / parasitology*
  • Cats
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Feces / parasitology
  • Female
  • Giardia / isolation & purification
  • Isospora / isolation & purification
  • Male
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Prospective Studies
  • Protozoan Infections, Animal / epidemiology*
  • Protozoan Infections, Animal / parasitology*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Toxascaris / isolation & purification
  • Tritrichomonas foetus / isolation & purification