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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #65354
Title: WHAT IS YOUR DIAGNOSIS? (A CASE OF CLINICAL DISSEMINATED TOXOPLASMA GONDII INFECTION IN A CAT)

Author
item POITOUT, FLORENCE - UNIV OF MINNESOTA, MN
item WEISS, DOUGLAS - UNIV OF MINNESOTA, MN
item Dubey, Jitender

Submitted to: Veterinary Clinical Pathology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/10/1995
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Infection by the single celled parasite Toxoplasma gondii is widespread in humans and in livestock. It causes mental retardation and loss of vision in congenitally infected children. Cats are the only hosts that excrete the environmentally resistant stage of T. gondii (oocyst). Although infection is common in cats, they rarely have clinical signs due to toxoplasmosis and most cases are diagnosed postmortem. Scientists at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center and the University of Minnesota report pneumonia in an adult cat due to toxoplasmosis confirmed antemortem. The clinicopathologic features discussed will be of interest to veterinarians.

Technical Abstract: Clinical toxoplasmosis is described in a 8 year old domestic cat. The cat had dyspnea and high fever (40.4 0C). Toxoplasma gondii-like tachyzoites were seen in needle aspirate of the lung. The diagnosis was confirmed by immunohistochemical staining with anti-T. gondii polyclonal rabbit serum. The cat had no IgG antibodies in Toxo-IgG ELISA test.