Cat genotype Tritrichomonas foetus survives passage through the alimentary tract of two common slug species

Abstract

Tritrichomonas foetus has recently been recognised as the cause of large bowel diarrhoea in cats (feline trichomoniasis), for which the epidemiology is largely unknown. We tested whether garden slugs common in Sydney, Australia can pass viable T. foetus in their faeces after oral intake. First, Leopard slugs ( Limax maximus) were offered cat food with 10 4 of T. foetus per gram, 63% (5/8) of slugs consumed food with T. foetus and subsequently 20% (1/5) shed T. foetus in their faeces. Furthermore, 63% (5/8) and 75% (6/8) of the Leopard slugs and the Yellow cellar slugs ( Limacus flavus) consumed food with 10 6 of T. foetus per gram and subsequently 100% (5/5) and 83% (5/6) shed T. foetus in their faeces, respectively. These results suggest that slugs may facilitate passive transmission of T. foetus between cats. We speculate that cats may become infected with T. foetus should they consume food contaminated with faeces from slug(s) infected with T. foetus.