title: Experimental infection of cats (Felis catus) with Tritrichomonas foetus isolated from cattle.
abstract: Tritrichomonas foetus is recognized as the causative agent of venereal trichomoniasis in cattle. It is characterized by embryonic and early fetal death and post-coital pyometra, and feline trichomoniasis, manifest as chronic, large bowel diarrhea. Many of the infected cats are less than 2 years old and specific routes of transmission remain unknown. We recently demonstrated that feline isolates of T. foetus can successfully infect heifers, resulting in pathologic changes similar, but not identical to those previously reported as representative of bovine trichomoniasis. In this study, we experimentally infected six cats less than 1 year of age with a bovine (D-1) isolate of T. foetus and one cat with a feline (AUTf-1) isolate of T. foetus. Within 2 weeks, the cat infected with the feline (AUTf-1) isolate was culture positive for trichomonads in weekly fecal samples. At the end of 5 weeks, only one cat infected with the bovine (D-1) isolate was fecal culture positive for trichomonads. At necropsy, the intestine of each cat was removed and divided into five sections (ileum, cecum, anterior, medial and posterior colon). Contents from each section were collected and cultured. The cat infected with the feline (AUTf-1) isolate was culture positive in the ileum, cecum, medial and posterior colon. Two cats infected with the bovine (D-1) isolate were culture positive in the cecum only. Additionally, each intestinal section was submitted to a pathologist for histopathological examination. The combined results indicate that there are demonstrable differences between the feline (AUTf-1) and bovine (D-1) isolates regarding their infectivity in cats.
authors.affiliation: 166 Greene Hall, Department of Pathobiology, Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn, AL 36849, USA. stockhd@auburn.edu
authors.forename: Heather D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Stockdale
authors.forename: A Ray
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Dillon
authors.forename: Joseph C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Newton
authors.forename: Richard C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Bird
authors.forename: Robert H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Bondurant
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Deinnocentes
authors.forename: Sharron
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barney
authors.forename: Jamie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bulter
authors.forename: Tracey
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Land
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Lindsay
authors.forename: Byron L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Blagburn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000635:transmission; D002415:Cats; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000635:transmission; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D011528:Protozoan Infections / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission; D011529:Protozoan Infections, Animal; D016835:Tritrichomonas foetus