Feline platynosomiasis: analysis of the association of infection levels with pathological and biochemical findings.
Platynosomiasis is a common feline hepatic disease caused by Platynosomum fastosum (Trematoda - Dicrocoelidae), which is also known as 'lizard poisoning'. Most reports of feline platynosomiasis show that this disease is sporadic and manifests with uncommon lesions; its pathogenicity is still not well understood. This study aimed to describe liver injuries and enzymatic changes associated with natural P. fastosum infection in 47 stray cats in an endemic area. Overall, 38.3% (18/47) of cats were parasitized, and 2,358 flukes (P. fastosum) were collected (131 - mean intensity of parasitism; 50.2 - mean abundance). The alanine transaminase (ALT) measure was significantly higher in parasitized animals, while alkaline phosphatase (ALP) showed no statistical difference between parasitized and non-parasitized animals. In infected animals, gross pathological lesions and microscopic liver injuries ranged from mild to severe, and were similar to those in previous descriptions of feline platynosomiasis. Nonetheless, the intensity of parasitism was not related to the severity of macroscopic or microscopic hepatic injuries. However, feline platynosomiasis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of feline liver disorders, as well as, in any program of helminth control, even if no clinical abnormalities are present.
Unidade Acadêmica Especial de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal de Goiás - UFG, Jataí, GO, Brasil.|Instituto de Ciências Agrárias, Centro Universitário de Mineiros - UNIFIMES, Mineiros, GO, Brasil.
Dirceu Guilherme de Souza
DG
Ramos
Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil.
Amanda Raiza Gonçalves Lima Oliveira
AR
Santos
Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil.
Leodil da Costa
LD
Freitas
Instituto de Ciências Agrárias, Centro Universitário de Mineiros - UNIFIMES, Mineiros, GO, Brasil.
Ísis Assis
ÍA
Braga
Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil.
Erica Pereira da
EP
Silva
Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil.
Luciana Maria Curtio
LM
Soares
Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Sinop, MT, Brasil.
Nádia Aline Bobbi
NA
Antoniassi
Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil.
Fernando Henrique
FH
Furlan
Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil.
Richard de Campos
RC
Pacheco
D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000201:enzymology / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology*; D002415:Cats; D004012:Dicrocoeliidae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008109:Liver Diseases, Parasitic / Q000201:enzymology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D014200:Trematoda; D014201:Trematode Infections / Q000201:enzymology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*
D000410:Alanine Transaminase