Tritrichomonas Foetus and Not Pentatrichomonas Hominis Is the Etiologic Agent of Feline Trichomonal Diarrhea

Levy, Michael G.; Gookin, Jody L.; Poore, Matthew F.; Birkenheuer, Adam J.; Dykstra, Michael J.; Litaker, R. Wayne

doi:10.1645/0022-3395(2003)089[0099:tfanph]2.0.co;2

Cited by 118 publications

(107 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Due to these morphological details, it was possible to differentiate the trophozoites of T. fetus and P. hominis. Contradicting these results, Levy et al (2003) stated that the two species are not easily to be distinguished by examining the organisms stained with standard histological dyes. Then the anterior flagella are difficult to number and morphology axostilemorphology, which is an important criterion to distinguish T. foetus from P. hominis requires specific and expensive staining techniques, as the silver impregnation, for their correct identification.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…An association between dysentery in the large intestine in cats and the presence of parabasalids as Pentatrichomonas hominis and Tritrichomonas foetus was recognized by Romatowski (1996Romatowski ( , 2000, Gookin et al (1999), Levy et al (2003). There are practically one or more reports of the occurrence of feline trichomoniasis or by T. foetus or P. hominis in one or more countries in the five continents.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

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Co-infection by Tritrichomonas foetus and Pentatrichomonas hominis in asymptomatic cats

et al. 2015

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RESUMO.-[Co-infecção por Tritrichomonas foetus e Pentatrichomonas hominis em gatos assintomáticos.] Tritrichomonas foetus, um parasito bem conhecido por seu significado como um agente patogênico transmitido venereamente em bovinos, também foi identificado como causa de diarreia crónica do intestino grosso em gatos domésticos em muitos países. No Brasil, vários estudos sobre o diagnósti-co de tricomonose bovina foram realizados, mas até agora, não há informação disponível em relação à trichomonose felina. Assim, este é o primeiro estudo a relatar a ocorrência Tritrichomonas foetus, a parasite well known for its significance as a venereally transmitted pathogen in cattle, has been identified as a cause of chronic large bowel diarrhea in domestic cats in many countries of the world. In Brazil, several studies on the diagnosis of bovine trichomoniasis have been performed, but until now, no study was made regarding feline trichomoniasis. Thus, this is the first study to report the occurrence of T. foetus and Pentatrichomonas hominis in cats using morphological and molecular analysis. Feces from 77 cats were examined, four of which (5.2%) were positive for the presence of parabasalids. Morphological analysis of stained smears revealed piriform trophozoites showing the three anterior flagella, elongated nucleus and axostyle ending abruptly in fillet, characteristic of T. foetus. In scanning and transmission electron microscopy, identification characters similar to those previously reported for T. foetus were observed. The cultures containing trophozoites were submitted for molecular analysis, which resulted positive for T. foetus DNA using specific primers (TFR3 and TFR4), and all samples were positive and subjected to sequencing in which they showed 99.7-100% similarity with another isolate sequencing of T. foetus (JX960422). Although no trophozoite with consistent morphology of P. hominis has been visualized in the samples, differential diagnosis was performed using specific primers for P. hominis (TH3 and TH5) amplicon. In three of the four samples (3.89%) sequencing revealed 100% similarity when compared with another sequence of P. hominis deposited in Genbank (KC623939). Therefore, the present study revealed through the diagnostic techniques employed the simultaneous infection by T. foetus and P. hominis in the feces of cats. However, it was necessary to use more than one technique for the diagnosis of the co-infection. These results demonstrate the importance of a correct diagnosis to allow an appropriate treatment by the veterinarian.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Co-infection by Tritrichomonas foetus and Pentatrichomonas hominis in asymptomatic cats

et al. 2015

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“…10,22,23 On the basis of sequence identity of 18S rRNA, the feline organisms have been identified as T. foetus. 18 Following experimentally induced infection, T. foetus colonizes the feline ileum, cecum, and colon, resulting in diarrhea characteristic of the natural infection.…”

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confidence: 99%

Histologic Features Associated withTritrichomonas foetus-induced Colitis in Domestic Cats

Yaeger

Gookin

2005

Vet Pathol

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Abstract. Tritrichomonas foetus is a venereal pathogen of naturally bred cattle. In domestic cats, T. foetus colonizes the colon, resulting in chronic, large-bowel diarrhea. The infection is prevalent among young, densely housed cats, and there is no effective treatment. To the authors' knowledge, the characteristic microscopic lesions of T. foetus infection in naturally infected cats have not been described. The aim of the study reported here was to characterize the histologic changes in the colon of seven cats with T. foetus infection and chronic diarrhea. All cats were 1 year old or younger (mean, 6.7 6 1.7 months), and a diagnosis of T. foetus infection was made on the basis of direct fecal smear examination (five cats), fecal culture in InPouch TM TF medium (four cats), single-tube nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of DNA extracted from feces (two cats), or observation of trichomonads in sections of colon followed by PCR confirmation on DNA extracted from paraffinembedded tissue (two cats). The presence of colonic trichomonads was the most diagnostic histologic feature. Organisms were identified in all cats, but in only 24 of 43 (56%) sections of colon. Trichomonads were generally present in close proximity to the mucosal surface and less frequently in the lumen of colonic crypts. The presence of colonic trichomonads was consistently associated with mild-to-moderate lymphoplasmacytic and neutrophilic colitis, crypt epithelial cell hypertrophy, hyperplasia and increased mitotic activity, loss of goblet cells, crypt microabscesses, and attenuation of the superficial colonic mucosa. In two of the cats, histologic lesions were more severe and were associated with invasion of trichomonads into the lamina propria and/or deeper layers of the colon.

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“…Examples include Tritrichomonas suis of pigs, Trichomonas muris of mice, Tritrichomonas mobiliensis of squirrel monkeys,7 Tetratrichomonas gallinarum and Trichomonas gallinae of birds,8 and Pentatrichomonas hominis of a variety of vertebrate species. More recently, a feline genotype of Tritrichomonas foetus was identified as an inhabitant in the intestinal tract of domestic cats 9, 10, 11. Feline T. foetus appears to be somewhat host adapted to the intestinal tract of cats, with only one published report of a reproductive tract infection in this species 12, 13.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Feline T. foetus currently is recognized as a primary cause of large bowel diarrhea in domestic cats 9, 10, 11. Infection occurs by direct fecal–oral transmission.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanisms ofTritrichomonas foetusPathogenicity in Cats with Insights from Venereal Trichomonosis

Tolbert

Gookin

2016

Veterinary Internal Medicne

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Almost 20 years has passed since trichomonosis was first recognized as a potential cause of diarrhea in domestic cats. Despite progress in confirming disease causation, developing means for diagnosis, and identifying approaches to treatment of the infection, we still know very little about how this parasite causes diarrhea. With increasing recognition of resistance of trichomonosis to treatment with 5‐nitroimidazole drugs, new treatment strategies based on an understanding of disease pathogenesis are needed. In this review, lessons learned from the pathogenesis of venereal trichomonosis in people and cattle are applied to clinical observations of trichomonosis in cats in effort to generate insight into areas where further research may be beneficial.

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Tritrichomonas Foetus and Not Pentatrichomonas Hominis Is the Etiologic Agent of Feline Trichomonal Diarrhea

Cited by 118 publications

References 28 publications

Co-infection by Tritrichomonas foetus and Pentatrichomonas hominis in asymptomatic cats

Co-infection by Tritrichomonas foetus and Pentatrichomonas hominis in asymptomatic cats

Histologic Features Associated withTritrichomonas foetus-induced Colitis in Domestic Cats

Mechanisms ofTritrichomonas foetusPathogenicity in Cats with Insights from Venereal Trichomonosis

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