![]() Treatment in cats usually consists of a 2-4 week course of the antibiotic clindamycin and may be combined with other therapies including supportive care. Antibody titer testing (a test to determine infections) can be performed to help exclude the disease altogether if negative, or aids in the likelihood of finding infection, if positive.Ī Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) test (used to examine at fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord) and tissue samples (biopsies) can be analyzed for the presence of tachyzoites. How Veterinarians Diagnose Toxoplasmosis in Catsĭiagnosing toxoplasmosis can also be challenging as oocysts are rarely identified in routine stool exams, and the identification of oocysts does not mean the cat needs to be treated. It’s important to note that cats who are showing symptoms are unlikely to be shedding the infectious oocysts. The prognosis depends on the severity of the diagnosis and is typically worse when the lungs or liver are involved. Symptoms are related to the organ(s) affected by the tachyzoite, which may include: Symptoms are often mild and can go unnoticed in otherwise healthy cats. ![]() While concerning, do not fret too much, there are certain precautions you can take to minimize your risk as noted below. gondii, and the organism has been shown to infect animals like sea otters miles away from the site of the original cat defecation after rains washed the infected feces into the watershed. Researchers estimate that about a third of the human population is infected with T. This remarkable ability to survive in the environment is partly to blame for their success. ![]() These oocysts can remain in the environment for many months. The oocysts that are passed in the feces are not infectious at first, but they become infectious after a period ranging from 1 to 5 days, when they undergo a process called sporulation. Symptoms are variable depending on which organs become affected. gondii can either produce oocysts, which are then passed in the stool, or can replicate to become tachyzoites, which migrate throughout the body, affecting multiple organs. Passage of tachyzoites from mother to fetus during pregnancy ![]() Ingesting feces containing infectious oocystsĮating tissues (i.e., uncooked meat or wildlife) containing the brady-/tachyzoite phases gondii life stages (oocysts, tachyzoites, and bradyzoites) by: All non-feline animals, including animals, can serve as intermediate hosts and become infected.Ĭats can become infected by all three T. Parasites in intermediate hosts pass through two distinct life stages: tachyzoites (fast-reproducing) and bradyzoites (latent form). ![]() Intermediate-Hosts in which the parasite reproduces asexually, or by producing “daughter” organisms that split from the “mother” organism. Cats are the definitive hosts for the parasites. In general, the parasite affects two different kinds of hosts:ĭefinitive-Hosts necessary for the sexual reproduction of the parasite, which are then shed in the feces as oocysts (similar to eggs). In order to better know how to diagnose, treat, and prevent toxoplasmosis, it’s helpful to understand the organism’s complicated lifecycle and how it infects hosts. Fortunately for our feline friends, the disease is generally mild, but given its zoonotic potential (meaning it can be transmitted to people), it is important to recognize its health implications. It is a relatively common disease that is found worldwide in animals, birds, and even humans. Toxoplasmosis is caused by the protozoal parasite Toxoplasma gondii. This is a legitimate concern for pregnant people and their babies, but there’s no reason to re-home your cat because of the condition. You might have heard before that if you’re pregnant or plan to become pregnant, you should re-home your cat because of a disease called toxoplasmosis. ![]()
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