Transcript Tritrichomonas foetus in a cat

*Lisa Pohlman, *Marjory Artzer, **Verona Chaffin
*Kansas State University, Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology,
Presented at SEVPAC 2008 – Permission
**Allcare Animal
Hospital,
granted
for use onShawnee,KS
SEVPAC website only
History; 16-week-old intact female, Bengal (Poppy)
RDVM December 28, 2007
 Diarrhea, seromucoid nasal discharge & mild failure to thrive
 De-wormed, antibiotics, SC fluids & sent home
January 7th Recheck
 Nasal discharge had cleared
 Diarrhea worse → diagnosed coccidia
 Albon
January 11th Recheck
 Diarrhea
 Fecal wet mount → abundant motile organisms
 A video recording of the organisms
 A saline diluted, air-dried fecal smear
Presented at SEVPAC 2008 – Permission
granted for use on SEVPAC website only
Presented at SEVPAC 2008 – Permission
granted for use on SEVPAC website only
Wright’s 100x
A variety of bacteria (mostly
rods),
debris,2008
and– Permission
protozoal organisms (9 to 12 um x 6 to 9 um)
Presented
at SEVPAC
for useflagella,1
on SEVPACnucleus,
website only
with 3 anterior flagella, 1granted
posterior
undulating membrane, central axostyle
Further tests & Diagnosis
 Culture (In PouchTM TF-Feline)
 PCR
 Tritrichomonas foetus
Presented at SEVPAC 2008 – Permission
granted for use on SEVPAC website only
Tritrichomonas foetus
Trichomonads
 Primitive eukaryotic organisms
 Obligate protozoan symbionts
 Multiple anterior flagella
 Undulating membrane
 Reproduction via binary fission
 Trophozoites are transferred from host to host directly
 Commensal & pathogenic species identified
 Tritrichomonas foetus -- pathogenic
 Pentatrichomonas
hominis
– non-pathogenic
Presented
at SEVPAC 2008
– Permission
granted for use on SEVPAC website only
http://vetsci.sdstate.edu/vetext/Trichomoniasis%20Range%20
Beef%20Cow%20Symposium%20web.htm
Tritrichomonas foetus
Cattle
 Venereal pathogen
Pigs
 gastrointestinal tract & nasal mucosa

T. foetus = T. suis
Dogs
 Diarrhea
Cats
 Enteric pathogen of cats
 Uterus
Presented at SEVPAC 2008 – Permission
granted for use on SEVPAC website only
T. foetus; Enteric Pathogen in Cats
 Colonizes colon
 +/- observable symptoms
 Chronic diarrhea
 Feces dribble from anus
 Young, densely housed cats
 ~1/3 of the purebred feline population infected
 Absence of diarrhea ≠ cat free of infection
 Misidentified as
 Giardia
 Pentatrichomonas
Presented athominis
SEVPAC 2008 – Permission
granted for use on SEVPAC website only
Pentatrichomonas Tritrichomonas
hominis
foetus
Giardia spp.
• Non-pathogenic
• 5 anterior flagella
http://www.st.rim.or.jp/~samacha/
CareF/SickF/Protozo/Proto.html
http://vetsci.sdstate.edu/vetext/Trichomoniasis%20Range%20
Presented
at SEVPAC 2008 – Permission
grantedBeef%20Cow%20Symposium%20web.htm
for use on SEVPAC website only
http://winnielovesus.blogspot.com/2007/09/
one-week-done-35-to-go.html
Histologic Features of T. foetus
M. J. Yaeger & J. L. Gookin, Vet Pathol 42:797-804 (2005)
 Colonic trichomonads (6 sections recommended)
 Lymphoplasmacytic & neutrophilic colitis
 Eosinophils not a prominent feature
 Crypt epithelial cell
 Hypertrophy
 Hyperplasia
 ↑ mitotic activity
 ↓ goblet cells
 Crypt microabscesses
 Attenuated superficial colonic mucosa
Presented at SEVPAC 2008 – Permission
granted for use on SEVPAC website only
 +/- Macrophages
Prognosis & Other Concerns
Infected Cats
 No effective antibiotic treatment
 Overall health not adversely affected
 ~90% diarrhea will stop within two years
 Remain source of infection to other cats
Hypothesis
 Prolonged presence of organisms
 Predisposition to IBD?
Zoonotic Potential?
 Human infection with T. foetus (1 case)
 Immunosuppressed
& previous stem cell transplantation
Presented at SEVPAC 2008 – Permission
granted for use on SEVPAC website only
M. J. Yaeger and J. L. Gookin
Vet Pathol 42:797-804 (2005)
With Permission
Unresponsive to antimicrobial treatment
T.foetus
PCR
Saline diluted feces
 Motile organisms
 Air dried smear
Culture
In PouchTM TF media
Presented at SEVPAC 2008 – Permission
granted for use on SEVPAC website only
Histopathology
Min. 6 sections
Acknowledgements
 Shon Koenig
 Shelly Christenson
 Nathan Rodriguez
Presented at SEVPAC 2008 – Permission
granted for use on SEVPAC website only