| Tritrichomonas Foetus |
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Information AboutTritrichomonas Foetus |
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DESCRIPTION ''Tritrichomonas foetus'' belongs to the order Trichomonadida in the Kingdom Protoctista . The parasite is 5-25 µm in size and is spindle shaped with four flagella which are whiplike projections and an undulating or wavy membrane. Their movement is jerky and in a forward direction. ''Tritrichomontas foetus'' looks like small tadpoles with small tails when viewed microscopically. The parasite interacts with bacteria that normally reside in the intestinal tract by adhering to the intestinal epithelium of the host. DIAGNOSIS ''Tritrichomonas foetus'' in cats is characterized by diarrhea that comes and goes and may contain blood and mucus at times. The diarrhea is semi formed in a cow pie consistency. In most cases it affects cats of 12 months of age or younger and cats from rescue shelters and homes with multiple cats. Close and direct contact appears to be the mode in which the parasite is transmitted. TREATMENT Treatment of the infection is difficult due to drug resistance. Traditional antiprotozoal drugs such as fenbendazole and metronidazole do not alleviate the symptoms. Some antimicrobial drugs have been shown to improve symptoms but do not eradicate the parasite. PROGNOSIS It has been shown that most cats show improvement and no signs of infection within 2 years of onset. It appears that over time the parasite dies off and the infection is remedied on its own. REFERENCES ¹Hausmann, K., N. Hülsmann, R. Radek. Protistology. 3rd completely revised edition. (2003). E. Schweizerbart’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung. Stuttgart, Germany. &2http://www.cvm.ncsu.edu/mbs/gookin_file2.pdf 14 September 2006 . ³http://www.fabcats.org/tritrichomonas.html 14 September 2006 . 4http://www.vita-tech.com/news.cfm?id=tritrichomonas_01Apr05 14 September 2006 . |
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