Dataset Information

Failure to detect Tritrichomonas foetus in a cross-sectional survey in the populations of feral cats and owned outpatient cats on St Kitts, West Indies.

ABSTRACT: Objectives:For over two decades, feline trichomonosis caused by Tritrichomonas foetus has been recognized as a large-bowel protozoan disease of the domestic cat. It has a wide distribution, but no reports exist in the Caribbean. The objectives of this study were to detect the presence of T foetus and its prevalence in the domestic cat on St Kitts, West Indies. Methods:A cross-sectional study was performed between September 2014 and December 2015. This study recruited 115 feral cats from a trap-neuter-return program and 37 owned cats treated as outpatients at the university veterinary clinic. Fresh feces were inoculated in InPouch culture medium, as per the manufacturer's instructions. In addition, PCR was performed using primers for T foetus. DNA extraction with amplification using primers of a Feliscatus NADH dehydrogenase subunit 6 was used as a housekeeping gene for quality control. Results:Only two owned cats had reported diarrhea in the preceding 6 months. None of the 152 samples were positive on InPouch culture microscopic examination. Only 35/69 feral cat fecal DNA samples were positive for the housekeeping gene, of which none tested PCR positive for T foetus. Conclusions and relevance:T foetus was not detected by culture and PCR in feral cats and owned cats on St Kitts. A high proportion of PCR inhibitors in the DNA samples using a commercial fecal DNA kit can lead to underestimating the prevalence, which should be taken into consideration when a survey on gastrointestinal pathogens depends exclusively on molecular detection.

SUBMITTER: Yao C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6125855 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan-Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Failure to detect <i>Tritrichomonas foetus</i> in a cross-sectional survey in the populations of feral cats and owned outpatient cats on St Kitts, West Indies.

Yao Chaoqun C Köster Liza L Halper Brandon B Dundas James J Nair Rajeev R

JFMS open reports 20180101 1

<h4>Objectives</h4>For over two decades, feline trichomonosis caused by <i>Tritrichomonas foetus</i> has been recognized as a large-bowel protozoan disease of the domestic cat. It has a wide distribution, but no reports exist in the Caribbean. The objectives of this study were to detect the presence of <i>T foetus</i> and its prevalence in the domestic cat on St Kitts, West Indies.<h4>Methods</h4>A cross-sectional study was performed between September 2014 and December 2015. This study recruited ...[more]

PMID: 30202541

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Project description:BACKGROUND: Although tick-borne diseases are important causes of morbidity and mortality in dogs in tropical areas, there is little information on the agents causing these infections in the Caribbean. METHODOLOGY: We used PCRs to test blood from a cross-section of dogs on St Kitts for Ehrlichia (E.) canis, Babesia (B.) spp., Anaplasma (A.) spp. and Hepatozoon (H.) spp. Antibodies against E. canis and A. phagocytophilum/platys were detected using commercial immunochromatography tests. Records of the dogs were examined retrospectively to obtain clinical and laboratory data. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: There was serological and/or PCR evidence of infections of dogs with E. canis (27%; 46/170), Babesia spp. (24%; 90/372) including B. canis vogeli (12%; 43/372) and B. gibsoni (10%; 36/372), A. platys (11%; 17/157) and H. canis (6%; 15/266). We could not identify the Babesia sp. detected in nine dogs. There was evidence of multiple infections with dual infections with E. canis and B. canis vogeli (8%; 14/179) or B. gibsoni (7%; 11/170) being the most common. There was agreement between immunochromatography and PCR test results for E. canis for 87% of dogs. Only 13% of exposed dogs had signs of a tick-borne disease and 38% had laboratory abnormalities. All 10 dogs presenting for a recheck after treatment of E. canis with doxycycline were apparently healthy although all remained seropositive and six still had laboratory abnormalities despite an average of two treatments with the most recent being around 12 months previously. Infections with Babesia spp. were also mainly subclinical with only 6% (4/67) showing clinical signs and 13% (9/67) having laboratory abnormalities. Similarly, animals with evidence of infections with A. platys and H. canis were largely apparently healthy with only occasional laboratory abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS: Dogs are commonly infected with tick-borne pathogens in the Caribbean with most having no clinical signs or laboratory abnormalities.

Dataset Information

Failure to detect Tritrichomonas foetus in a cross-sectional survey in the populations of feral cats and owned outpatient cats on St Kitts, West Indies.

Publications

Failure to detect <i>Tritrichomonas foetus</i> in a cross-sectional survey in the populations of feral cats and owned outpatient cats on St Kitts, West Indies.

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