Prevalence of Cytauxzoon felis infection in healthy cats from enzootic areas in Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.

Theresa E Rizzi,James H Meinkoth,Adam J Birkenheuer,Leah A Cohn,Mason V Reichard,Jared D Taylor

doi:10.1186/s13071-014-0618-z

Theresa E Rizzi, James H Meinkoth + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-014-0618-z

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Abstract

BackgroundInfection with Cytauxzoon felis in domestic cats can cause fever, lethargy, depression, inappetence, icterus, and often death. With a high mortality rate, cytauxzoonosis was historically considered a fatal disease. Within the last 15 years, cats with or without treatment have been recognized as chronically infected survivors of C. felis infection. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of C. felis in healthy domestic cats from Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.MethodsInfection with C. felis was determined using DNA extracted from anticoagulated whole blood and PCR amplification using C. felis-specific primers. Chi-square, Fisher’s exact tests, and odds ratios were used to compare proportions of cats infected with C. felis.ResultsBlood samples were collected from 902 healthy domestic cats between October 2008 and April 2012. DNA from Cytauxzoon felis was detected in 56 of 902 (6.2%; 95% confidence interval, 4.7–7.9) samples. The highest prevalence of C. felis infection (15.5%; 10.3–21.7) was observed in cats from Arkansas, followed by cats from Missouri (12.9%; 6.1–24.0), and cats from Oklahoma (3.4%; 2.2–5.1). Cats sampled in Arkansas and Missouri were 5.1 and 4.2, respectively, times more likely to be chronically infected with C. felis than cats from Oklahoma.ConclusionsInfection with C. felis is common in domestic cats through Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. The high prevalence of C. felis reported herein suggests that infected domestic cats are likely reservoirs of infection for naive felines. The high prevalence of C. felis substantiates the importance for the use of approved acaricides on cats to prevent cytauxzoonosis.

Highlights

Infection with Cytauxzoon felis in domestic cats can cause fever, lethargy, depression, inappetence, icterus, and often death
Whole blood samples collected in EDTA from domestic cats for routine procedures or illness unrelated to cytauxzoonosis at private veterinary clinics, animal shelter/spay/ neuter programs, or client cared for feral cats in Oklahoma, Missouri and Arkansas were submitted for this study from October 2008 through April 2012
In recent years domestic cats with or without treatment have been recognized as chronically infected survivors of C. felis infection

Summary

Introduction

Infection with Cytauxzoon felis in domestic cats can cause fever, lethargy, depression, inappetence, icterus, and often death. With a high mortality rate, cytauxzoonosis was historically considered a fatal disease. Cytauxzoon felis is a tick-transmitted protozoan parasite that can cause fatal disease in domestic cats and some wild captive felids [1-5]. Bobcats (Lynx rufus) have been considered reservoirs for C. felis and domestic cats (Felis catus) as aberrant dead-end hosts [7-10]. A study demonstrated transmission of C. felis from chronically infected domestic cats to naive cats via tick bite, demonstrating cats are competent reservoirs for C. felis [11,12]. The occurrence of cytauxzoonosis coincides with the distribution and seasonal activity of A. americanum [11], possibly explaining why cytauxzoonosis is not present in domestic cats in regions where C. felis is present in bobcats but A. americanum are not found [9,15]. Cytauxzoonosis is enzootic in the south-central United States, but cases have been identified in states extending to the mid-Atlantic coast [16-18]

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