title: Observed occurrence of Tritrichomonas foetus and other enteric parasites in Australian cattery and shelter cats.
abstract: Cattery-housed pedigree cats, located mostly within the USA, have the highest reported prevalence of Tritrichomonas foetus (T foetus) to date. This prospective, multi-institutional, cross sectional study examines the occurrence of T foetus and other enteric parasites in cattery-housed and shelter cats within Australia, where T foetus has only recently been identified. Faecal specimens were collected from 134 cats, including 82 cattery-housed pedigree cats and 52 shelter cats. Faecal examinations performed for most cats included concentration techniques, Snap Giardia test, culture in InPouch medium, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of T foetus ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) genes using species-specific primers. Observed occurrence of T foetus, Giardia species, Isospora species and Toxascaris leonina for cattery-housed cats (and catteries) were 0%, 7.4 (13.8)%, 10.9 (22.6)% and 1.6 (3.2)%, respectively. Observed occurrence of T foetus, Giardia species, Isospora species and hookworms for shelter cats were 0%, 11.5%, 9.8% and 4.9%, respectively. These results suggest the prevalence of T foetus in cattery-housed cats is currently much lower in Australia than in the USA, while Isospora and Giardia species infections are common.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA. sally_bissett@ncsu.edu
authors.forename: Sally A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Bissett
authors.forename: Maria L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Stone
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Malik
authors.forename: Jacqueline M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Norris
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: Caroline S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Mansfield
authors.forename: Julia M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Nicholls
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.forename: Jody L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Gookin
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001947:Breeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D002415:Cats; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D005872:Giardia / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007549:Isospora / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011529:Protozoan Infections, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014114:Toxascaris / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016835:Tritrichomonas foetus / Q000302:isolation & purification