Concurrent Examination of Bobcats and Ticks Reveals High Prevalence of<i>Cytauxzoon felis</i>in Southern Illinois

Zieman, Elliott A.; Jiménez, Francisco; Nielsen, Clayton K.

doi:10.1645/16-133

Cited by 25 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Shock et al [ 50 ] also found a low prevalence of C. felis infection in bobcats from North Dakota (1.7%) where cytauxzoonosis is not known to occur in domestic cats. In southwestern Illinois, Zieman et al [ 52 ] reported a prevalence of C. felis infection in bobcats of 70.6%. These same authors sequentially sampled five bobcats in their study area for 5 years and noted both that the wild felids were chronically infected with C. felis and that one of the cats became infected with a second strain of C. felis during the study [ 53 ].…”

Section: Affected Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cytauxzoonosis in North America

et al. 2021

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Cytauxzoonosis is an emerging tick-borne disease of domestic and wild felids produced by infection of Cytauxzoon felis, an apicomplexan protozoan similar to Theileria spp. Transmitted by Amblyomma americanum, lone star tick, and Dermacentor variabilis, American dog tick, infection of C. felis in cats is severe, characterized by depression, lethargy, fever, hemolytic crisis, icterus, and possibly death. Cytauxzoonosis occurs mainly in the southern, south-central, and mid-Atlantic United States in North America, in close association with the distribution and activity of tick vectors. Infection of C. felis, although severe, is no longer considered uniformly fatal, and unless moribund, every attempt to treat cytauxzoonosis cats should be made. Herein we review cytauxzoonosis, including its etiology, affected species, its life cycle and pathogenesis, clinical signs, diagnosis, and epidemiology, emphasizing clinical pathology findings in cats infected with this important emerging tick-borne disease in North and South America.

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Section: Affected Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cytauxzoonosis in North America

et al. 2021

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“…Several felid species have been documented as natural C. felis infection reservoirs, including: bobcat ( Lynx rufus ) [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 ], domestic cat ( Felis catus ) [ 30 , 31 ], cougar ( Puma concolor ) [ 32 , 33 , 34 ], and captive tigers [ 35 ]. For many decades, bobcats were presumed the main infection reservoir, while domestic cats were considered a dead-end host as those with observed clinical disease commonly died [ 11 , 36 , 37 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence of Cytauxzoon felis Infection-Carriers in Eastern Kansas Domestic Cats

et al. 2020

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Cytauxzoon felis is a hemoprotozoal tick-transmitted pathogen of felids. Felids that survive acute disease often remain infected and serve as reservoirs for subsequent tick transmission to other susceptible felines. States adjacent to Kansas have identified C. felis-domestic cat carriers while statewide awareness and concern of cytauxzoonosis have increased. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of C. felis-carriers in the eastern Kansas domestic cat population using a sensitive quantitative PCR assay targeting the C. felis Cox3 mitochondrial gene. An overall C. felis infection prevalence of 25.8% was determined for asymptomatic domestic cats in eastern Kansas. Significantly more C. felis-carrier cats were identified in spring and fall, suggesting a seasonal fluctuation of survivors. Additionally, a greater percentage of feral and owned cats were positive for C. felis compared to rescue/rescinded cats. This study demonstrates that C. felis-domestic cat carriers are common among cats that spend at least a portion of time outdoors in eastern Kansas, and that more cats likely survive cytauxzoonosis than expected. Understanding the role of domestic cat carriers of C. felis is essential in developing cytauxzoonosis mitigation strategies, including recommending year-round use of acaricide products for all cats that spend any time outdoors.

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“…In studies surveying wild-caught A. americanum , molecular evidence of C. felis infection has been detected in 0.0%, 1.5%, or 15.3% of adult ticks sampled and in 0.8% of nymphs sampled [1, 9, 14]. Despite undetectable to low infection prevalence in field-collected A. americanum populations in some areas, confirmed experimental data as well as geographical and seasonal trends of cytauxzoonosis cases point to A. americanum as the primary definitive host and tick vector of C. felis [3, 9, 10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transmission of Cytauxzoon felis to domestic cats by Amblyomma americanum nymphs

et al. 2019

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BackgroundSuccessful Cytauxzoon felis transmission studies have occurred using Amblyomma americanum adults acquisition-fed as nymphs on an experimentally infected domestic cat or Dermacentor variabilis adults fed as nymphs on a splenectomized bobcat. Here, we evaluated A. americanum and D. variabilis nymphs acquisition-fed as larvae on a C. felis-infected carrier domestic cat for competence to transmit the protozoan parasite as nymphs to naïve, healthy domestic cats.MethodsAmblyomma americanum and D. variabilis larvae were applied to a chronically infected, parasitemic C. felis donor cat (Felis catus) and allowed to feed to repletion. Engorged larvae were collected and held through ecdysis. Three cats were each infested with 66 A. americanum or 66 D. variabilis emerged nymphs. Cytauxzoon felis infections in principal cats were determined by clinical signs and detection of circulating parasite by blood smear and PCR evaluation.ResultsClinical signs of cytauxzoonosis were observed in cats infested with A. americanum nymphs beginning 12–15 days post-infestation (dpi). The same cats were PCR positive on 12–14 dpi; piroplasms were evident in blood smears at 16 dpi, and macrophage schizonts were observed in stained spleen impression smears in two animals at necropsy. Cats infested with acquisition-fed D. variabilis nymphs remained clinically normal and did not develop detectable parasitemia over the course of the study as determined by blood smear and PCR.ConclusionsCytauxzoon felis was successfully transmitted to domestic cats by A. americanum nymphs acquisition-fed as larvae on the donor cat. However, we were not able to transmit C. felis to healthy domestic cats with D. variabilis nymphs that were simultaneously acquisition-fed on the same donor cat. Results from this study suggest that larval and nymphal A. americanum likely play important roles in natural transmission cycles of C. felis.

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Concurrent Examination of Bobcats and Ticks Reveals High Prevalence ofCytauxzoon felisin Southern Illinois

Cited by 25 publications

References 29 publications

Cytauxzoonosis in North America

Cytauxzoonosis in North America

Prevalence of Cytauxzoon felis Infection-Carriers in Eastern Kansas Domestic Cats

Transmission of Cytauxzoon felis to domestic cats by Amblyomma americanum nymphs

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