Spirometra erinacei / S. erinaceieuropaei in a feral cat in Manawatu with chronic intermittent diarrhoea.
METHODS
A feral cat captured in the Manawatu region of New Zealand was treated for worms and fleas, and kept confined in a metabolic cage. It showed good appetite and weight gain but had intermittent watery, yellow diarrhoea.


RESULTS
Clinical examination under sedation was unremarkable and routine blood tests showed no significant abnormalities. The cat was negative for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukaemia virus (FeLV). Different canned cat foods did not alter the course of the diarrhoea, and the cat was euthanised 6 months after capture. At necropsy, two sections of adult Spirometra tapeworms were found in the jejunum and typical Spirometra eggs were found in colonic contents. Molecular identification of the parasite was undertaken, using the cytochrome-c oxidase subunit-1 gene (cox1) sequence.


METHODS
Chronic intermittent diarrhoea associated with Spirometra erinacei / S. erinaceieuropaei infection.


CONCLUSIONS
Spirometra has not been reported in New Zealand before but has been associated with gastrointestinal disease in cats in other parts of the world. It requires species targeted treatment to be eliminated effectively, and is zoonotic. Diagnosis could be difficult for clinicians who are not familiar with the parasite and its life cycle.
Ugarte
C E
CE
Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand. C.E.Ugarte@massey.ac.nz
Thomas
D G
DG
Gasser
R B
RB
Hu
M
M
Scott
I
I
Collett
M G
MG
D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000469:parasitology; D001483:Base Sequence; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology; D002415:Cats; D002590:Cestode Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000032:analysis; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005838:Genotype; D016415:Sequence Alignment / Q000662:veterinary; D013146:Spirometra / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
D018509:DNA, Helminth