Todayโs path rounds are on ๐๐ฒ๐ญ๐๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ณ๐จ๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ!
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
๐๐ฒ๐ญ๐๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ณ๐จ๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ is a parasitic disease caused by the protozoa ๐๐ฒ๐ญ๐๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ณ๐จ๐จ๐ง. The protozoan can be found in wild felids throughout North America!
๐๐ก๐จ ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
As mentioned, this disease most commonly affects felids in North America, including our domestic cats.
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
Cytauxzoon is transmitted by ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ค๐ฌ, who generally acquire the protozoan by feeding on ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐๐ง ๐๐จ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ฌ. Bobcats generally do not become sick with this protozoal infection, allowing them to act as a ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข๐ซ for the parasite. These ticks then feed on a domestic cat, transferring the protozoan.
๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ?
Cytauxzoon often infects the ๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฌ of cats, which targets them for destruction by the immune system. This can result in ๐๐ง๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ (low RBCs). When RBCs are destroyed, ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐ข๐ง is released, and overwhelms the liverโs ability to process it for excretion in the bile. Bilirubin begins to accumulate in the animal, staining tissues yellow, which is called ๐ข๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฌ.
The parasite can also infect ๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ฌ (major clean-up cell of the immune system) and ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ฌ (major blood clotting cell), resulting in increased susceptibility to infection and poor clotting. ๐๐๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ฌ (another clean-up cell) can also eat the protozoan and become very large, to the point where they begin to obstruct blood flow in vessels. This can lead to ๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง (lack of blood flow) and ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ (fluid leaking from vessels), particularly in the lungs.
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ฌ๐๐?
Cytauxzoon can be diagnosed on a ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ, where the blood is examined under a microscope. The parasite has a characteristic ๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐๐ญ ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ shape that can be identified in red blood cells.
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐? ๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐?
Unfortunately, most antiparasitic drugs are poorly effective in treating cytauxzoonosis. However, with adequate ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ including fluids, oxygen, blood transfusions and pain medications, these animals are often able to survive long enough for the antiparasitics to work, and resolve their infection. Prevention for this disease is key, so make sure you use a tick preventative!
๐๐ก๐จ๐ญ๐จ๐ฌ
1) What Cytauxzoon looks like in a blood smear.
2-4) Examples of cells harbouring lots of little dit-dot protozoans!
5) A cat with icterus and lung congestion and edema from Cytauxzoon.
๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ
Maxie, G. Jubb, Kennedy and Palmerโs Pathology of Domestic Animals, Volume 3. Sixth Edition.
Photos 1-5 ยฉ Noahโs Arkive contributors Doster, Rech, Camus, French licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
