| .Molecular identification of Cytauxzoon felis in the blood of cats in Hamedan, Kermanshah and Mashhad provinces of Iran |
| Paper ID : 1191-IPCA4 (R1) |
| Authors |
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Alireza Sazmand1, Pardis Almasi *2, Baharak Akhtardanesh3, Domenico Otranto4 1Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Bu-Ali Sina University 6517658978 Hamedan, IRAN 2Faculty of Veterinary Science, Shahidan Bahador Beigi Blvd. 3Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Bahonar University, Kerman, Iran 4Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Bari, Italy |
| Abstract |
| Cytauxzoon felis is a tick-borne protozoan parasite of domestic cats and wild feline species. Piroplasms infect erythrocyte, and cats present mild or subclinical to severe and fatal illness. Infection of cats and their ticks with this parasite has been reported worldwide including Tehran, North Khorasan and Khorasan Razavi provinces however, there is scarce information about the epidemiology of this pathogen in cats of other regions of Iran. The aim of this study was molecular identification of Cytauxzoon felis in the blood of cats in three provinces of Hamedan, Kermanshah and Mashhad. Between October 2019 to December 2021, saphenous or cephalic vein blood specimens were collected from 106 stray cats in provinces of Hamedan (n=22), Kermanshah (n=60) and Mashhad (n=24). Cats were also searched for ectoparasites infestation. Genomic DNA was extracted from all of the specimens. DNAs were tested with species-specific primers using conventional PCR. Infestation with ectoparasites i.e. ticks, fleas, mites was not observed. In PCR, parasitaemia was detected in 15 cats of Hamedan (72.7%), 20 cats of Kermanshah (60%) and 3 cats of Mashhad (29.2%). None of the infected cats showed common clinical signs of the diseases e.g. high fever, dyspnoea, depression, dehydration, anorexia, anaemia, and jaundice. Herein for the first time, cytauxzoonosis is reported from apparently healthy cats of Hamedan and Kermanshah at a high rate. Application of tick prevention products for privately-owned cats is suggested. Since overt signs of the disease were not observed in infected cats, either Iranian strains of C. felis induce mild symptoms or infected cats were survivors of this often-fatal disease |
| Keywords |
| Cytauxzoon felis, Felis catus, tick-borne, vector-borne |
| Status: Abstract Accepted (Poster Presentation) |