Cytauxzoonosis: Diagnosis and treatment of an emerging disease.
BACKGROUND
Cytauxzoonosis is a life-threatening hematoprotozoal disease with a rapidly progressive clinical course. Once considered a rare disease only relevant to a small geographic area, it is now recognized in more than about a third of the United States. The geographic range seems likely to increase with expansion of the range of the vector tick.


OBJECTIVE
Both disease diagnosis and treatment offer challenges. The acute illness is often recognized by characteristic parasitic cellular inclusions, but illness may occur before parasites can be identified, and parasitic inclusions may persist long after illness has resolved. Also, while infection was once considered nearly uniformly fatal, subclinical infections are now recognized. Disease prognosis has improved for many cats through implementation of new therapies, but some pathogens are resistant to these therapies and death from disease is still common. Currently, prevention strategies are limited to ectoparasite control.


BACKGROUND
Cytauxzoonosis caused by Cytauxzoon felis is limited to the Americas, and is especially problematic in southeastern and south central USA. However, other Cytauxzoon species have been recognized in Europe and Asia.


BACKGROUND
This review is aimed at veterinary practitioners and focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of cytauxzoonosis. Disease management is of crucial importance in endemic regions. Furthermore, the expanding geographic range of infection, and the possibility of parasite identification in chronically infected cats with a travel history, make understanding cytauxzoonosis relevant in non-endemic regions as well.


METHODS
The authors draw on evidence from prospective clinical trials, experimental infections, retrospective clinical studies and case reports, as well as their own personal experience with the diagnosis and treatment of cytauxzoonosis.
201 W 67th Ct, Loveland, CO 80538, USA.
Meredith K
MK
Sherrill
900 E Campus Drive, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA CohnL@missouri.edu.
Leah A
LA
Cohn
D000827:Animal Welfare / Q000592:standards*; D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D001208:Asia; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002415:Cats; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005060:Europe; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011529:Protozoan Infections, Animal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States; D014730:Veterinary Medicine / Q000592:standards