Molecular detection of Tritrichomonas foetus in cats from Abruzzo region (central Italy)

INTRODUCTION. Tritrichomonas foetus (Trichomonadida, Tritrichomonadidae), a protozoan parasite causing chronic diarrhea in domestic cats and transmitted through the fecal-oral route (Gookin et al., 2004J Clin Microbiol. 42: 2707-10), has been reported worldwide. The clinical manifestations caused by T. foetus are variable, ranging from subclinical to severe. The infection is more frequent in catteries and shelters, and in purebred and young cats.Only few studies have investigated the occurrence of T. foetus in catsfrom limited regions of Italy (Mancianti et al., 2015J Feline Med Surg. 17: 163-67; Veronesi et al., 2016 Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports. 6: 14-19). This study has investigated its prevalence in cats froma region of Central Italy. MATERIALS AND METHODS. In 2019, individual faecal samples were collected from105 cats (37 privately owned, 68 colony-cats) referred at the University Veterinary Teaching Hospital of Teramo, Abruzzo region. The faecal samples were tested using aspecific PCR protocol (Gookin et al., 2002 J Clin Microbiol. 40: 4126-30). All samples were also subjected to concentration-floatation, sucrose gradient centrifugation and Baermann techniques for the detection of other endoparasites. A statistical analysis evaluating the prevalence of infection and possible risk factors (i.e. age, sex, breed, housing, presence of other parasites and chronic gastrointestinal signs) associated with T. foetus infection was performed using Fisher’s exact test and the odds ratio (OR). RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS. Tritrichomonas foetus was detected in 18/105 (17.14%) cats. This infection rate is higher if compared to previous studies carried out in Italy (0.75 - 32.4%). In only two cats, T. foetus was found in association respectively with Giardia and A. abstrusus. The infection was detected more frequently in cats with chronic gastrointestinal signs (38.9% vs 14.9%; p = 0.01; 95% CI = 1.40-13.99; OR = 4.27) and no other statistically significant associations emerged. This study confirms the endemicity of T. foetus in cats from central Italy and its importance as a cause of chronic gastrointestinal signs. Moreover, the data here presented showed that the infection may also occur in adult and mixed-breed catsas previously reported (Doi et al., 2012J Vet Med Sci. 74: 413-41; Gruffydd-Jones et al., 2013 J Feline Med Surg. 15: 647-49).