Prevalence of enteropathogens in cats with and without diarrhea in four different management models for unowned cats in the southeast United States

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of enteropathogens in cats with and without diarrhea in four different models for managing unowned cats: short-term animal shelter, long-term sanctuary, home-based foster care, and trap-neuter-return. Fecal samples from 482 cats, approximately half of the cats with normal fecal consistency and half with diarrhea, were tested by zinc sulfate centrifugation and by real-time PCR for a panel of enteropathogens. At least one enteropathogen of feline or zoonotic importance was detected in a majority of cats, regardless of management model. For most enteropathogens, the presence or absence of diarrhea was not significantly associated with infection, the exceptions being Tritrichomonas foetus in sanctuary cats with diarrhea (26%) and normal fecal consistency (10%), respectively (P≤0.04), and feline coronavirus in foster cats (80% and 58%) (P≤0.001). The types of enteropathogens detected were related to the type of management model, e.g., viral and protozoal infections were most common in shelters, sanctuaries, and foster homes (confinement systems), whereas helminth infections were most common in trap-neuter-return programs (free-roaming cats). These results suggest that management practices for unowned cats are inadequate for control of enteropathogens and that the presence of diarrhea is a poor indicator of enteropathogen carriage. Risk-management strategies to reduce transmission to people and other animals should focus on sanitation, housing, compliance with preventive care guidelines, periodic surveillance, response to specific enteropathogens, humane population management of free-roaming community cats, public health education, and minimizing the duration and number of cats in mass confinement.

Detection of enteric agents into a cats’ shelter with cases of chronic diarrhea in Southern Brazil

“…In street cats, a higher occurrence of parasitized animals (87.9%) was observed (Serra et al 2003). Periods greater than one year without worming can be considered a risk factor for the presence of parasites (Pivoto et al 2013, Andersen et al 2018. The animals of this study were considered dewormed for over a year and this factor may have contributed to the rate of parasitism observed.…”

Prevalence of Feline Coronavirus Shedding in German Catteries and Associated Risk Factors

“…The prevalence of FCoV shedding has been investigated in several countries by testing fecal samples or rectal swabs for FCoV RNA by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and the results range from 31.8% to 100.0% [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]. Crowded living conditions and sharing litter boxes have been discussed as predisposing factors, but there are only a limited number of studies prospectively evaluating risk factors for FCoV shedding.…”

Clinical Management of Large-Scale Cruelty Cases

“…Considerations for choices of medication should include the availability of personnel and their ability to administer signs of illness. 9 Therefore, routine deworming for roundworms, hookworms, and tapeworms should be part of the standard medical protocol. Fecal testing is not necessary unless there is unresolved diarrhea after deworming, or it is otherwise dictated based on clinical illness.…”

“…Coccidiosis is a common finding in large-scale cat cruelty cases; it is found in up to 23% of cats with diarrhea and 33% of clinically healthy cats. 9 Based on observed diarrhea findings at the scene, within the temporary shelter, or diagnostic test results, it may be reasonable to treat all cats for coccidiosis. Ponazuril is an effective treatment for coccidiosis and is easily administered to large numbers of cats, given orally once daily at 15 to 30 mg/kg for 1 to 3 days and repeated if necessary in 1 week.…”

“…In addition, many cats from these cases may harbor other enteropathogens, such as Tritrichomonas, Giardia, or Cryptosporidium species, as well as feline enteric coronavirus, which may or may not be a cause of refractory diarrhea. 9,11 Any additional testing and interpretation should be conducted as discussed later in this chapter.…”