A case of piroplasmosis caused by Babesia annae in a cat

Development of the disease

Piroplasma or Babesia affects hundreds of species of mammals, but birds suffer from this parasite quite rarely. The bacterium was first discovered by Victor Babes, a Romanian bacteriologist who identified the cause of diseases in cattle in 1887.

In the 20th century, scientists identified six varieties of these microorganisms. Cats are affected by Babesia felis, a parasite that is three times smaller than the causative agent of the disease in dogs. Animals that have Babesia in their bodies become carriers of a dangerous disease.

Causes and routes of infection

Piroplasmosis can affect absolutely any cat, regardless of breed and age. Most often, young animals under three years of age are affected. An outbreak of the disease is usually observed during the period of greatest activity of ticks, that is, in the warm season (spring-summer).

Before entering the cat's body, Babesia live in the body of the ixodid tick - an intermediate host, which is only a carrier of the infection. For the insect itself, piroplasms are harmless. They colonize the tick's intestinal lining, where they form spores.

Having attached itself to a healthy cat and drunk on its blood, the insect begins to regurgitate the contents of the stomach, and thus Babesia enters the body of the mustachioed pet. Once in the animal’s bloodstream, the parasite migrates, penetrating red blood cells and feeding on their contents—hemoglobin.

Incubation period

The length of the incubation period may vary. If a small amount of bacteria has entered the animal's bloodstream, and the cat is young and healthy, the first symptoms may not appear until several weeks later. In case of severe infection with the penetration of a large number of bacteria into the weakened body of the pet, babesiosis manifests itself after 2-3 days.

On average, the incubation period lasts 10−14 days. Feline piroplasmosis belongs to a group of fairly rare diseases; moreover, it often does not manifest itself in any way, so even a specialist cannot always immediately determine the cause of a pet’s illness. Meanwhile, precious time is lost, and lack of treatment leads to the death of the cat.

The first signs and symptoms of the disease

Although this pathology in cats is quite rare, every pet owner needs to be aware of the symptoms of the disease. The following signs should raise suspicion:

• The cat’s behavior changes - it becomes lethargic, inactive, and constantly lies huddled in a dark corner.
• The animal completely or partially loses its appetite. Some cats refuse to eat from the very first days, which causes them to suddenly lose weight.
• Severe shortness of breath is often observed. The animal's breathing becomes shallow and frequent.
• Fever appears. Body temperature rises to 41 degrees, sometimes higher.
• Even with a sluggish course of the disease, the cat quickly loses weight and becomes exhausted.

Since piroplasmosis causes the destruction of erythrocytes (red blood cells), the animal develops hemoglobinuria, that is, blood appears in the urine. Jaundice is more typical for the chronic form of the disease. Most often, all visible mucous membranes are susceptible to icterus (jaundice); in severe cases, the skin may also turn yellow. The fur becomes coarser and stiff.

But the most serious consequence of the active proliferation of bacteria is the massive destruction of red blood cells. Cases of chronic piroplasmosis are characterized by the appearance of nuclear forms of red blood cells: the body begins to release their immature forms into the bloodstream, thus trying to compensate for the deficiency of red cells.

Lack of treatment leads to more severe symptoms. The clinical picture looks like this: in a sick pet, the heart rate (heart rate) slows down significantly, the pulse becomes rare. The cat is breathing slowly and heavily. In addition, there are disruptions in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract: diarrhea, vomiting and nausea occur, or, conversely, constipation that occurs due to innervation.

If the cat is not helped, it may die or become a carrier of the disease, which is also dangerous both for other pets and for itself - every time with the slightest decrease in immunity, the pathology again takes on an acute form.

If the infection occurs at an advanced age, the pet will most likely die, since its body will no longer be able to cope with the disease. In severe cases, the death of the animal occurs already on the second day, since piroplasmosis is characterized by lightning-fast development.

Prevention

Of course, it is not necessary to keep your pet within its four walls all its life, but it is still necessary to observe preventive measures. What do cat owners need to remember?

1. Treat your pets with products against ticks, fleas and other blood-sucking parasites.
2. After a walk, carefully examine your ward in order to identify the ixodid tick in time.
3. Unscrew the parasite carefully so as not to leave its head in the animal's body.
4. Seek help from a veterinarian immediately after discovering a blood-sucking parasite.
5. Do not walk your cat in a deserted forest, as the likelihood of catching an arthropod enemy in such places is much higher.
6. Get your pet vaccinated against piroplasmosis at a veterinary clinic (it is not a fact that it will protect him from infection, but it will definitely help to avoid complications).

The good news is that babesiosis is not very common in our area, but caution will not hurt in any case. Ixodid ticks are carriers of other dangerous diseases, so take care of your pets

Do cats get piroplasmosis?

Babesia, which affects representatives of the cat family, was discovered back in 1929. The first species to be discovered was Babesiafelis. It is found in Africa and affects wild Sudanese cats, but is harmless to domestic cats. But the species Babesiafelisdomestica, discovered in 1937, is dangerous for our pets.

Cases of babesiosis in cats are extremely rare and in the original area of ​​distribution of this disease - on the sea coasts of Africa. In Europe and Russia, the disease has never been officially registered. However, in recent years, several cases very similar to feline piroplasmosis have been identified in the Astrakhan region. Due to the lack of practical experience among domestic specialists in diagnosing and the peculiarities of the course of this disease in cats, it is impossible to reliably say whether it was babesiosis or a similar clinical course of hemobartonellosis, .

So the answer for today is this. In principle, feline piroplasmosis exists as a disease, and cats get it. Our pets are safe for now. But if the parasite ends up on the territory of our country, and all diseases tend to migrate, the disease may begin to spread en masse. This means that both veterinarians and owners must be prepared for it.

What happens after a bite?

Ixoid mites are intermediate hosts for parasitic protozoa of the piroplasma family. In the tick's body, piroplasms undergo part of their development cycle.

The causative agent of piroplasmosis enters the animal’s bloodstream, when bitten, with the tick’s saliva, and begins to multiply intensively in the red blood cells.

Red blood cells die en masse, releasing hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is partially removed in the urine, turning it red, and is partially converted into bilirubin, resulting in yellowness of the mucous membranes and eyes.

The number of red blood cells in animals with piroplasmosis is reduced by 2-3 times compared to the normal level. As a result, severe anemia develops - anemia, which entails, as a compensatory reaction, increased breathing and pulse, and increased heart contractions. Excessive stress on the heart muscle leads to cardiac hypertrophy.

Toxic products accumulate in the blood and tissues, metabolism is disrupted, and inflammatory and degenerative processes occur in the spleen, liver and kidneys. Acute kidney failure develops.

What kind of disease is this and how is it dangerous?

The salivary glands of ticks contain piroplasms, which at the time of the bite penetrate into the dog's blood. Pyroplasmas begin to parasitize red blood cells, causing their destruction. Red blood cells are the blood cells responsible for carrying oxygen. The destruction of a large number of these cells with increased production of hemoglobin leads to the impossibility of rapid and complete processing of the latter by internal organs. As a result, many toxic breakdown products of hemoglobin are formed.

If you do not start urgent treatment of piroplasmosis, the dog’s condition will become serious within 3-4 days. The accumulation of hemoglobin breakdown products disrupts the functioning of all internal organs, including the liver, kidneys and heart. The incubation period of the disease is 1 to 2 weeks.

The most common consequences of babesiosis are heart and kidney failure, liver inflammation and ischemic brain damage.

Treatment

The strategy is to destroy the pathogen and eliminate the consequences of intoxication.

Elimination of piroplasms

Medicines used to kill Babesia have a lot of side effects. Therefore, treatment should be carried out by a veterinarian using drugs to support cardiac activity, as well as hepatoprotectors. The following medications are in demand:

• Primaquine Phosphate.
• Azidin.
• Veriben.
• Imidocarb.
• Berenil.
• Neosidine.

Before specific therapy, it is necessary to use supportive agents - laxatives, cardiac, hemostatic. Mass death of piroplasms and destruction of red blood cells in which Babesia live is accompanied by intoxication. Further treatment is aimed at eliminating the consequences of the invasion.

Detoxification therapy

The following means are used:

• Hepatoprotectors.
• Multivitamin mixtures.
• Immunocorrectors. The combination of Fosprenil and Gamavit is preferred.
• Rehydration solutions.

The cat requires special care during the rehabilitation period. A therapeutic diet and movement restrictions are needed. The cat's condition is monitored by blood tests 2 times a month.

Prevention

Preventive measures are as follows:

• Removing the tick as quickly as possible.
• Protection from attack.

Immediate extraction

If you shorten the time an arthropod spends on a cat, the pathogen may not have time to penetrate the capillary of its final host. Therefore, after another walk, the fellinologist feels the pet, especially the stomach, armpits, the space behind the chin and ears. The attached insects are removed entirely so that the head does not remain. Otherwise, unpleasant inflammation develops.

There are several ways to completely remove a tick:

• Acaricidal.
• Mechanical.

The acaricidal method consists of applying an insecticidal component, for example, Butox or Apit, to the body of the arthropod. After some time, the insect dies and falls off. The poison has no effect on Babesia. It may have time to penetrate the cat's circulatory system.

The mechanical method uses a number of devices designed to remove the tick:

• Tick-kay.
• Tick ​​twister.
• Ticked off.

Tick ​​Kay

Defense against attack

To eliminate or repel ticks, the following insecticides are used:

Preventive emulsions - Butox, Neostomazan, etc.

• Acaricidal collars.
• Drops applied to the withers.
• Aerosols.

The cat owner is obliged to use all means to protect the pet from tick attacks. Then piroplasmosis will not happen.

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Treatment of piroplasmosis in cats

Let us immediately note that the treatment of piroplasmosis in cats is a rather lengthy and difficult procedure. The problem is that the drugs used for this are highly aggressive towards the liver and excretory system of the animal.

Help at home

The very first aid at home should be to immediately contact a veterinarian. You still can’t do anything significant on your own.

But it’s still possible to alleviate your pet’s condition:

It is necessary to provide the cat with complete rest. No stress, no games with children.

Since a sick pet (most likely) will not eat, but will experience extreme thirst, it needs unlimited access to clean drinking water. The contents of the “water” bowl should be changed as often as possible.

If the pet still shows interest in food, it is given only light and well-digestible food. We recommend using special diets for sick cats. It is strongly not recommended to feed dry food at this time.

Drugs

Here are the main drugs used in the treatment of this disease:

The main remedy is Imidosan. A powerful and good medicine, but it has a number of serious side effects. In particular, its administration itself is so painful that it is advisable to give the animal sedatives and painkillers beforehand.

• An analogue of the above-described medicine is Piro-Stop. It is also a rather “heavy” drug.
• Azadine and Hemosporidine.

Since all the above-described remedies are not very “gentle” towards the liver of the animal itself, hepatoprotectors (Essentiale-Forte and others) are used to level out side effects. In addition, glucose solutions, Ringer's solution, etc. are used to relieve intoxication and alleviate its consequences.

Folk remedies

As such, there are no folk remedies for the treatment of this disease. We do not recommend using “smart” advice from traditional medicine sites. It is so easy to prolong and worsen the course of the disease, as a result of which the cat will either die or remain disabled. Owners need to remember that piroplasms will not be harmed in any way by “poultices” and other primitive methods of treatment.

Diet during treatment

It is better to feed a cat suffering from babesiosis with liquid food, and in general, significantly increase the amount of liquid consumed daily. This will have a diuretic effect on the animal, which in turn will help to quickly get rid of the symptoms of intoxication.

The nutrition of a pet who has recovered from piroplasmosis, especially if it is a kitten, should be aimed at restoring the animal’s body’s defenses, therefore it should be balanced and caloric, and be varied. In addition, do not forget about the need to increase the level of hemoglobin, which is significantly reduced due to the disease.

The diet of a cat who has recovered from piroplasmosis must be balanced and must include raw meat.

Important! Your furry pet's diet must include raw meat, liver, dairy products, and iron supplements.

Myth or reality

Let's start with the fact that there is still no consensus among veterinarians whether it is worth isolating such a disease specifically for cats. Some believe that yes, there is such a problem, while their opponents do not think so.

Let's try to understand this issue.

This dangerous disease is more typical for dogs - in spring and autumn, cases of infection become widespread. The causative agent is a small blood parasite, carried by ixodid keys. The infection pattern is the same in other animals (in particular, cows).

Having encountered such a scourge for the first time, parasitologists immediately identified pathogens for animals at risk. For dogs, Piroplasma canis was recognized as such. The cats, by analogy, received Piroplasma felis, three times smaller in size. Its existence became the subject of debate.

Important! In timely vaccinated animals, the risk of infection approaches zero (an exception may be cases when the pet has been in contact for a long time with an already infected “exotic”).

The fact is that among cats, the disease is usually found in representatives of wild species living in South Africa - cheetahs, leopards and others. Such parasites are actually found in their blood.

But with domestic cats the matter is more complicated: it is believed that they can also catch the disease, but clear evidence of this has not yet been presented. From time to time, evidence appears that somewhere in warm regions the parasite has spread to ordinary cats, but again, everything is at the level of rumors.

It is generally accepted that a purring dog with a weakened immune system can become infected from a dog (although Piroplasma Canis is not dangerous for cats), and healthy animals have nothing to fear at all.

But this does not mean that you can be absolutely calm about the health of your pet - individuals of exotic breeds are increasingly being imported into the country, which may turn out to be potential carriers of a dangerous parasite.

If you find out whether domestic cats suffer from insidious piroplasmosis using statistics, it is very indicative: over the past 10 years, domestic veterinarians have registered only 20 cases.

Prevention measures

To bite, insects usually choose areas where the skin is thinnest—the inner thighs and abdomen. If a tick has attached itself to the neck under the lower jaw, the vigilant owner will immediately notice this, since the pet will begin to scratch the bitten area.

But the correct choice of place for a walk and subsequent inspection of the animal to detect a tick, unfortunately, will not prevent infection if the insect ends up on the pet’s body. Therefore, the most effective preventative measure is to treat the cat’s skin and fur with acaricides, which neutralize the insect, causing paralysis of its limbs.

Chemical treatment against ticks is carried out during the warm period - from May to September. Drugs containing permethrin prescribed in such cases for dogs and mustachioed pets are not suitable - such drugs are too toxic for them.

Sprays or drops containing fipronil are used to treat furry pets. An adult cat is treated 24 hours before a planned walk in the park/forest. The product is applied to the withers area so that the pet cannot lick it off. The active substance accumulates in the sebaceous glands under the skin without entering the blood. The effect lasts for a month.

Piroplasmosis in cats, the symptoms of which appear 1.5-2 weeks after infection, is a rather dangerous disease. If you do not seek help from a veterinarian in time, the animal may die. Since Babesia enters the body of a pet through the bite of an ixodid tick, measures should be taken in advance, that is, before the onset of the warm season, to protect the animal from these blood-sucking insects.

Cat owners need to understand that the spread of the disease is based on tick bites. Therefore, during the period from May to November, certain means of protection against ticks should be used. These can be specialized sprays, drops or collars. If you suspect a disease, you should promptly contact a veterinarian, since at the initial stage of the disease, treatment is the most effective and high-quality, without negative side effects.

Do not let your cat go for a walk in an unfamiliar place or forest; after a walk, carefully examine the animal - ticks are difficult to see under thick fur.

In addition, there are vaccines against piroplasmosis, but their effectiveness has not yet been reliably proven.

Today, not only veterinarians, but also competent breeders know whether piroplasmosis occurs in cats. This cannot but rejoice, since he who is forewarned is forearmed. Knowing about the danger, you can take preventive measures in time. With the onset of the first warm days, you need to put on a special anti-flea and tick collar for your pet.

An additional means of protection that can be used in parallel are drops on the withers. If you are going to the dacha with your cat, then take a bottle of anti-tick spray with you. The treatment must be done at home so that the drug has time to be absorbed. This will provide protection for up to five days.

Don't forget to check your pet for fleas and ticks after every walk. Found insects must be removed and destroyed. If the ixodid tick has managed to attach itself, then it is better to immediately go to the veterinary clinic. The specialist will not only remove it from the body, but also analyze it for infection.

A case of piroplasmosis caused by Babesia annae in a cat

D. Eritz, G. Derre

The clinical picture of piroplasmosis in dogs and cats often becomes more and more atypical. To make a final diagnosis, one has to resort to molecular biology methods.

Basic provisions

1. Feline piroplasmosis is not well known and should be integrated into the differential diagnosis of anemia, but also leukopenia and thrombocytopenia.

2. The geographical distribution of microbabesias is not limited to the Mediterranean environment.

3. Treatment of feline piroplasmosis needs clarification.

A cat of European breed at the age of two years was subjected to an echographic examination, with the help of which splenomegaly was established. According to his supervising colleague, it was established that the animal lives in Marseille in a private house with access to a garden, in which he often takes walks. Due to this, he was already exposed to flea and tick infestation. Every two months it is treated against ectoparasites with a spot on insecticidal solution. When performing a blood test, mild regenerative anemia, leukocytosis and hyperbilirubinemia are noted (Table 1).

Tests for the rapid detection (on special plates) of viruses: leukemia (search for antigens), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and intestinal coronaviruses turned out to be negative.

Clinical examination

On the day of consultation, the cat was apathetic and refused to eat. Clinical examination revealed pallor of the mucous membranes, tachycardia (heart rate - 180 beats/min) and splenomegaly upon palpation of the abdominal wall.

Ultrasound examination confirmed moderate splenomegaly without visible parenchymal abnormalities. Splenomegaly was not examined because the owner refused cytopuncture. Dilatation of the gallbladder with the presence of bile mud was identified. The rest of the abdominal cavity examination objects were normal.

Diagnostic assumptions

At this stage, diagnostic assumptions about anemia with the manifestation of hyperbilirubinuria are as follows:

— autoimmune hemolytic anemia;

- disimmune hemolytic anemia associated with an infectious agent (for example, hemobartenellosis);

- hemopathy with splenomegaly.

Additional Research

The swabs were made from a drop of blood taken from the ear. They show moderate anisokaria of erythrocytes. No parasites or ridges were found in the red blood cells. However, finally, these first pathognomonic signs were identified and clarified in the material sent to the veterinary laboratory. In addition, a study was ordered to detect the persistence of hemobartenella in a cat using genetic amplification (PCR), as well as a direct Coombs test.

Hemogram results confirm the presence of anemia (hemoglobin below 8 g/dL), macrocytic (mean erythrocyte volume [VGM]) above 55fl), normochromic (mean corpuscle hemoglobin [TCMH] is 13 and 17), hemolytic (TCMH above 17.5 pkg/l) and regenerative (total number of reticulocytes above 80x109/l) with reticulocytosis 10% (or 207x109/l) (Table 2).

The Coombs test is performed first and cannot be interpreted because autohemolysis occurs during its reading. A few days later the test was repeated and it was positive for IgG detection (1/2,048), moderately positive for IgM/C3 (1/32). This test indicates the persistence of anti-erythrocyte IgG in large quantities on the surface of red blood cells without evidence that these may be autoantibodies.

A study conducted through genetic amplification (PCR) in the appropriate time unit to detect the persistence of Micoplasma haemofelis and condidate Micoplasma haemominutum (the new name for hemobartenella, currently classified in the category of mycoplasmas), turned out to be negative. In this case, hemolytic autoimmune anemia was suspected. However, reading blood smears in the laboratory revealed inclusions in the red blood cells. In this case, the varying thickenings could easily be confused with Govel-Joly bodies, but in any case they seem to have always been round. This picture was confirmed by observations at higher magnification (photos 1, 2). The assumption was based on the presence of inclusions of a parasitic nature, indicating sporozoars of piroplasms (small-sized Babesia, or microbabesia) or Theileria.

The search for piroplasms using PCR of the genus Babesia or Theileria is positive. Pure DNA was isolated and subjected to sequence analysis. Comparison of the results of sequence analysis in the gene bank (the international Genbank of all sequence analysis data of genes) of 120 base pairs (bp) showed 99% homology with those of the piroplasm called Spanish dog Babesia with Babesia microti. Sequencing of this parasite is excellently carried out by two sequence analyzes bp 214 (published in GenBank) of Babesia annae, also called Theileria annae or Babesia-like due to its great similarity to the piroplasm Babesia microti, usually detected in rodents (AT Camacho, JJ Gestal, FJ Guitian et coll., 2001; AT Camacho, E. Pallas, JJ Gestal, et coll., 2003; E. Visee, 2008). Therefore, we are talking about a case of piroplasmosis in a cat caused by microbabesia: Babesia annae (for example, Theileria annae), associated with disimmune hemolytic anemia.

Treatment and long-term results

Onrofloxacin was prescribed orally at a dose of 5 mg/kg per day, as well as prednisolone (1.0 mg/kg) while awaiting the results of additional research methods. According to the owners, the animal's general condition gradually improved. However, a month later the animal disappeared and acquired a semi-free lifestyle, as it had before. It was no longer possible to evaluate the objectivity of the assessment of therapeutic intervention in connection with the possibility of detecting a new pathogen in the blood of a cat using PCR.

Discussion

Classification of piroplasms

Piroplasmosis caused by protozoars - obligate intracellular parasites belonging to the genus Babesia or Theileria. These parasitic infections are transmitted by the Ixodid tick, also called the hard tick.

The classification still has many contradictions (see Figure 1). Based on these morphological properties, it is possible to distinguish two types of piroplasms:

— large-sized piroplasms (Babesia canis, Babesia bovis, etc.);

— small-sized piroplasms: Babesia divergens, Babesia microti, Babesia gipsoni, Babesia conradae, etc. and parasites of the genus Theileria.

The classification of small-sized piroplasms continues to evolve. Among them, three species with very similar morphology are known: one is the Californian species (B. conradae), the other is the Asian one (B. gipsoni), while the third is Babesia/Theileria annae, also sometimes found under the name Spanich dog Babesia due to the fact that that it was first isolated from a dog living in Spain (AT Camacho, JJ Gestal, FJ Guitian et coll., 2001; A. Criada-Fornelio, MA Conzalez-del-Rio, A. Buling-Sarana et coll., 2003; AT Garcia, 2006; K. Hartelt, T. Rieker, R. M. Oehme et al., 2007).

This microbabesia can contaminate dogs, cats and foxes (AT Camacho, E. Pallas, JJ Gestal et coll., 2003; A. Criada-Fornelio, MA Conzalez-del-Rio, A. Buling-Sarana et coll., 2003).

The presented case fits perfectly into the morphological description of B. annae, confirmed by the sequencing method available at GenBank. The tick that is a potential vector for B. annae is probably Ixodees hexagonus.

Variations in the clinical picture of the disease

Until this time, canine piroplasmosis syndrome, according to the classical description, is manifested by hyperthermia, hemoglobinuria, macrocytic or hemolytic regenerative, normocytic anemia, also accompanied by general weakness. In the overwhelming majority of cases, the descriptions include associated or isolated leukopenia and/or thrombocytopenia (E. Vise, 2008). The presented clinical picture of the cat's disease corresponds to this common disease. However, over the course of several years, the clinical manifestation of canine piroplasmosis has become less and less typical, which necessitates the use of research at the molecular level. A simple microscopic analysis to exclude the disease piroplasmosis is currently considered insufficient to detect piroplasms in the body of an animal. Therefore, research at the molecular biological level is the only solution to identify the persistence of piroplasms in a sick animal (A. Criada-Fornelio, A. Martnez-Marcos, A. Buling-Sarana et coll., 2003; A. Criada-Fornelio, C. Revvaleiron, A. Buling et coll., 2007; PT Matjila, AL Leisewitz, MC Oosthuizen et coll., 2008; E. Vise, 2008).

Table 1. Results of biochemical tests (VetTest/Idex) received from our veterinarian colleague

Table 2. Hemogram results obtained in a veterinary laboratory

The concept of host specificity

The concept of host specificity is not absolute.

Several authors have recently excluded this stereotype of understanding as the species specificity of piroplasms (A. Criada-Fornelio, A. Martnez-Marcos, A. Buling-Sarana et al., 2003; A. Criada-Fornelio, C. Rev-valerion, A. Buling et coll., 2007; DA Fritz, 2008; PT Matjila, AL Leisewitz, MC Oosthuizen et coll., 2008).

This information is confirmed by our own studies (7 unpublished) of the molecular properties of Babesiae/Theileria species and subspecies conducted on 166 dogs and 111 horses in France (from March 2006 to March 2008). As a result, we could show, using sequence analysis, that about 20% of piroplasmosis was caused by Theileria equi, and 10% of horses with piroplasmosis were infected with Babesiae canis canis. This has been confirmed by several authors (A. Criada-Fornelio, A. Martnez-Marcos, A. Buling-Sarana et coll., 2003; A. Criada-Fornelio, C. Revvalerion, A. Buling et coll., 2007; DA Fritz , 2008; PT Matjila, AL Leisewitz, MC Oosthuizen et al., 2008). As for the cat, data on representatives of this species are limited, but the possibility of contamination through certain strains of Babesiae canis was taken into account, which necessitated the identification of a new species called B. canis subsp. presentii (G. Banet, M. J. Kenny, S. Tasker et coll., 2004; A. Criada-Fornelio, A. Martnez-Marcos, A. Buling-Sarana et coll., 2003). The vectors remain unclear, and probably remain the same for a dog, fox, etc.

From now on, detection of various vector infections in cats is widely carried out.

As a result, if a cat exhibits clinical signs indicative of piroplasmosis, then the symptoms (as in all other species suffering from vector tick-borne diseases), such as apathy, anorexia, fever of unknown origin with various biochemical modifications (hyporegenerative or aregenerative anemia , sometimes leukopenia or isolated thrombocytopenia, etc.) can also be erased.

Concept of multiple contamination

Various works carried out on the dog, the horse and now on the cat indicate that multicontamination often occurs (A. Criada-Fornelio, A. Martnez-Marcos, A. Buling-Sarana et al., 2003; A. Criada-Fornelio, C. Revvalerion, A. Buling et al., 2007; PT Matjila, AL Leisewitz, MC Oosthuizen et al., 2008). This is explained by the association of one or more pathogenic bacteria or protozoars, such as Erlichia, Anaplasma, Rickettcia, Neorickettcia, Babesiae, Theileria, various hemobartanellae, classified and now included in Mycoplasma with M. Haemofelis, M. haemominutum, M. haemocanis. This judgment is also based on several bites by ticks belonging to different families and genera over a certain period of time, followed by contamination and asymptomatic carriage, until the accumulation of pathogenic agents and their reproduction provoke the appearance of clinical symptoms. It is also possible that some of these coinfections may enter the body through the bite of a single tick, because ticks often carry multiple pathogenic agents. Evidence for this transmission also comes from the idea regarding the geographic localization of these vector diseases, falsely limited to the Mediterranean. As a result of the dispersion, we have several similar cases of their detection in France.

Treatment

For canine piroplasmosis caused by microbabesia, some authors suggest combination therapy with simultaneous oral administration of clindamycin (25 mg/kg, twice a day), metronidazole (15 mg/kg, twice a day) and doxycycline (5 mg/kg twice a day). in a day). Imidocarb remains the main treatment in some cases (K. Suzuki, H. Wakabayashi, M. Takahashi et al., 2007; HJ Vial, A. Corenflot, 2006). The combination of clindamycin with kinin has also been proposed as atovaquone (Malarone, 30 mg/kg twice daily for 7–10 days orally) and aziromycin (Zytromax, 10 mg/kg orally) (A. Matsuu, Y. Kochida, M Kawahara et coll., 2004; H. J. Vial, A. Corenflot, 2006; R. Wulansari, A. Wijava, H. Ano et coll., 2003).

Authors often note clinical improvement, but a relatively certain proportion of parasites persist after treatment (A. Matsuu, Y. Kochida, M. Kawahara et al., 2004). In this case, it can be assumed that the parasite is quantitatively reduced and cannot be detected in smears, but a study carried out using PCR always gives a positive reaction. The concept of chronic carriage with relapse of clinical symptoms is probably convincingly proven (K. Suzuki, H. Wakabayashi, M. Takahashi et al., 2007). Finally, several authors suggest the use of medicinal plants, but their potential effectiveness has only been shown in vitro (K. Kasahara, S. Nomurq, Subeki et al., 2005; Subeki, H. Matsuura, M. Yamasaki et al., 2004).

Conversely, there is little clarification regarding the treatment of cats for piroplasmosis. It is possible that imidocarb can be used for feline babesiosis. In any case, for this type of animal, the treatment regimen with this drug has not been specified in the laboratory. For Babesia felis (South Africa) buparvacuone, onrofloxacin, danofloxacin will be ineffective (BL Penzorm, BD Lewis, LM Lopez-Rebollar et al., 2000). Conversely, association of rifampicin with sulfadiazine-trimithoprim is likely to be effective.

Primaquine will be active at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg orally or intramuscularly, with the knowledge that duplication of this dose (eg, 1.0 mg/kg) will be fatal to the patient (FT Porgieter, 1981). From my own experience, there is probably no specific treatment for B. annae in cats. The effectiveness of onrofloxacin will be verified separately. Prescription of treatment in case of multicontamination is mainly carried out by monitoring the improvement of the animal’s condition. These treatment steps must be followed by PCR monitoring of the specific copy number present for each pathogenic agent to finally clarify whether the animal is a persistent carrier despite its clinical improvement. In this way, treatment can be adapted to each clinical case.

New questions

The accumulated knowledge used in eitopathogenesis is one of the reasons for the dogma. Piroplasmosis is undoubtedly caused by parasites of the genus Babesiae and Theileria. The term "babesiosis" applies to piroplasmosis caused by Babesia (theileriosis for Theileria). New evidence regarding species specificity likely explains some of the therapeutic errors.

Therefore, can canine piroplasmosis caused by Theilaria equi be treated in the same way as Babesiae canis canis? A study carried out using PCR allowed us to discover and confirm the concept of secondary multicontamination caused by tick bites. In this regard, it is not recommended to treat only one babesiosis or theileriosis, but the association of other vector diseases caused in the same sick animal should also be taken into account. The term clinical recovery becomes relative in the understanding of the biological persistence of pathogenic agents detected by molecular biological methods. Are these carriages as harmless as a return to a normal clinical state? Will there be manifestations of renal failure over a long period of time due to the formation of a depot of autoimmune complexes, as well as nephrotic syndrome and very often idiopathic in nature? What treatment regimen should you follow?

Molecular biology, recently born in the laboratory of fundamental research, has provided conditions for the daily diagnosis and treatment of piroplasmosis and is becoming one of the necessary methods in the future.

As this article shows, when it comes to piroplasmosis, yesterday's truth is not the only truth today, because molecular biology opens up new horizons.

SVM No. 3/2010

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Symptoms and causes of the disease

When an animal is bitten by a tick, parasites called babesia get into the wound. They penetrate blood cells and reside inside red blood cells, feeding on intracellular materials. This leads to intoxication of the body and massive cell death.

Many people argue about whether cats suffer from piroplasmosis, because it has long become common knowledge that this is a canine disease. This disease has occurred in no more than 20 clinical cases in our country. Some veterinarians are inclined to believe that this is nothing more than an error in the work of laboratories. Others believe that European veterinarians make the diagnosis correctly and it is necessary to promptly provide assistance to the animal with signs indicating this type of disease.

The main cause of disease in cats is called felis piroplasma, which is carried by parasites located in dense forests or tall grass, where animals like to walk. If a tick jumps from the grass onto an animal, the probability of disease will increase to 13%, since this is the percentage of ticks that are statistically carriers.

Ixodid ticks, which carry Babesia felis, are most active between March and October. Blood-sucking parasites adapt very quickly to their environment and are also able to wait a long time for a food source. They usually hide in the grass, where it is warm and humid. It is a well-known fact that animals love to lie on the green grass, where danger awaits them. How does piroplasmosis manifest itself?

Veterinarians identify the main symptoms of piroplasmosis:

1. Increase in cat's body temperature to 40 degrees
2. Yellowness of the mucous membranes of the mouth and eyes associated with damage to the blood cells and liver of pets
3. The appearance of blood in the urine

In addition, secondary accompanying symptoms are identified:

• Vomit.
• Anemia.
• Lack of appetite in the animal.
• Exhaustion of the body.
• Intestinal atony.
• Slow heart rate.
• Paralysis and paresis.
• Signs of body intoxication.
• Rapid breathing.
• Lethargy.

This disease develops very quickly due to a tick bite on a pet. This is what leads to damage to cats’ blood cells by Babesia, which can rapidly multiply and spread throughout the body.

An acute course of the disease can take the life of your pet in just a few days. Therefore, every loving owner should know where piroplasmosis comes from in cats. So, the cause is a mite. More precisely, not the blood-sucking insect itself, but the smallest intracellular parasites - Babesia, which it infects at the moment of saturation. Until the early 90s, there was no living confirmation in veterinary practice that piroplasmosis in cats actually occurs

Most of the attention was focused on dogs, who get sick and die every year in the thousands.

However, research has shown that there is a specification of Babesia, which is called Felis, that is, feline. Fortunately, piroplasmosis in cats most often occurs with virtually no symptoms. Therefore, even experienced breeders note that in their entire lives they have never encountered the need to treat their pet.

Symptoms of piroplasmosis

Symptoms of piroplasmosis depend on the stage and severity of the disease. So, at the very beginning of the disease, the main symptoms are an increase in body temperature to 41 degrees, the animal is lethargic, apathetic, breathes heavily, sleeps a lot, refuses food, and the mucous membranes are red. On the 3-4th day, the temperature may drop to low-grade or to normal, the urine becomes dark in color, it may also have a red color or the color of meat slop, the animal may experience thirst, the mucous membranes become pale, anemic, breathing is rapid, and weakness of the limbs is noted. If assistance is not provided, the animal may develop renal failure, liver failure, heart failure, and cerebral ischemia. The symptoms will be characteristic of a particular disease with symptoms of severe anemia, suppressed immunity, low body temperature, and paralysis of the limbs.

Piroplasmosis in cats is real: symptoms and treatment

The disease piroplasmosis is well known to dog owners. Piroplasmosis in cats is not described either in the scientific literature or in veterinary textbooks and reference books. Where do conversations on this matter come from, is there any basis for discussing this topic?

Can cats get piroplasmosis?

Most veterinarians will confidently answer this question - no, cats do not suffer from piroplasmosis. At the same time, they will keep in mind that neither in theory nor in practice have they encountered this disease in cats.

But the question did not arise out of nowhere. There are cases in our country, not many of them, about two dozen over the last decade, when veterinary specialists describe their identification of the alleged causative agent of piroplasmosis in the blood of cats. At the same time, animals with corresponding clinical symptoms were studied, that is, general symptoms inherent in piroplasmosis in different animal species.

Whether this is actually true is difficult to say. These cases were not subjected to serious research, and such facts were not properly recorded.

Piroplasmosis occurs in large wild predators of the cat family. The first information about the disease in predatory cats began to appear at the end of the last century. A previously unknown causative agent of feline piroplasmosis, named Babesia felis, was identified and described. It is transmitted by the ixoid tick Haemophysalis leachi. Lions, tigers and other species of wild large cats are susceptible to the disease.

There is information about the detection of this pathogen in domestic cats in countries such as Thailand, France, Zimbabwe, and Israel. In Russia, as already mentioned, there are about two dozen cases where doctors claim to have detected piroplasmosis in cats, although there is a high probability of error in diagnosis.

The causative agent of the disease enters the body of animals when bitten by ixoid ticks; each animal species has its own type of carrier. In our country, in cats, with a high degree of probability, it may be the ixoid tick Rhipicephalus sanguineos.

What happens after a bite?

Ixoid mites are intermediate hosts for parasitic protozoa of the piroplasma family. In the tick's body, piroplasms undergo part of their development cycle.

The causative agent of piroplasmosis enters the animal’s bloodstream, when bitten, with the tick’s saliva, and begins to multiply intensively in the red blood cells.

Red blood cells die en masse, releasing hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is partially removed in the urine, turning it red, and is partially converted into bilirubin, resulting in yellowness of the mucous membranes and eyes.

Toxic products accumulate in the blood and tissues, metabolism is disrupted, and inflammatory and degenerative processes occur in the spleen, liver and kidneys. Acute kidney failure develops.

How to understand that a cat is sick with piroplasmosis?

The disease usually occurs in an acute form, characterized by rapid development and intensity of all symptoms:

• Increase in temperature in cats, up to 41-42 C;
• Dyspnea. Breathing is rapid and labored;
• Yellowness of the mucous membranes and whites of the eyes develops;
• Urine acquires a red tint, of varying intensity, even brown;

• The animal is depressed, there is no appetite, diarrhea and vomiting may occur;
• The animal exhibits muscle weakness, an unsteady gait, weak hindquarters, and may develop paresis of the hind limbs.

Less commonly observed is a slower and less intense course of the disease - subacute and chronic forms. In this case, the symptoms are less pronounced, and some of them may be absent. Characterized by anemia and gradual exhaustion.

Establishing diagnosis

Preliminary diagnosis is based on the presence of specific clinical signs and is confirmed by laboratory tests.

Laboratory methods are used to make a diagnosis:

• Microscopy;
• Serological examination of blood serum;
• PCR.

Microscopic examination of blood smears, with Romanovsky staining, and serological examination are of decisive importance. The PCR reaction helps identify the pathogen and clarifies the results of other studies. A general blood test shows compositional changes characteristic of this disease.

Establishing diagnosis

A correct and accurate diagnosis can only be made by an experienced veterinarian after conducting a series of laboratory tests. Even with mild symptoms that alert the owners, the animal is treated with:

• general, biochemical and serological blood test;
• microscopic examination of a blood smear;
• urine test for blood.

The doctor needs to know under what conditions the cat walked in the previous days, that is, whether there was contact with a tick, the presence of even small wounds on the animal’s body, contact with other animals. Individuals with a weakened immune system are more susceptible to babesiosis, so it is necessary to inform the veterinarian about the pet's previous diseases.

It is difficult to establish a 100% picture of piroplasmosis due to similar symptoms with other diseases, for example, infectious anemia, which require completely different treatment.

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The best results are obtained by microscopic examination of a smear of capillary blood from the auricle for the presence of Babesia.

Diet during treatment

Diet adherence is mandatory. Complications after infection with piroplasmosis are often more dangerous than the disease itself. This is also her cunning. If the cat's condition is very serious, she can barely stand on her paws or does not stand up at all, you should not force feed her - this small portion can become a very large burden on the body.

If there is a slight appetite, then the cat must be fed several times a day with slightly warm, pureed food (mashed potatoes and meat, rice, buckwheat porridge, soups). At the same time, the meat ingredient in the puree is only beef or turkey. This nutrition is aimed at maintaining the animal’s kidneys and liver. After the cat has recovered, it is necessary to continue feeding it raw turkey and beef, stewed vegetables, soups, cereals, fermented milk products, and eggs. Flour foods, legumes, cabbage, sweets and everything else that causes fermentation processes are prohibited. For lovers of dry ready-made food, it is better to choose medicated food, first dissolving it in water when giving it. All this is necessary to quickly cleanse the body of toxins after an illness.

If such a maintenance diet is not followed, including after recovery for a very long time, then a few months after recovery you can say goodbye to your beloved animal completely, simply because the cat’s kidneys or liver will fail, an acute form of pancreatitis will develop (stiffened movements, periodic vomiting of yellow foam), etc. Again, immediately see a veterinarian for an appointment. It turns out that proper nutrition is part of therapy and the key to a cat’s health.

In the future, an important stage in monitoring the dynamics is regular testing (at least once a month).

How to treat piroplasmosis?

Drugs for babesiosis should be prescribed only after the diagnosis has been confirmed. Using medications in this category as a preventative measure or just in case of emergency, as some veterinarians sometimes like to do, is fraught with serious consequences for the cat in terms of health and life. The drugs are highly toxic and are used in cases where the risk of dying from the disease exceeds the risk from administering the drug.

In addition to specific therapy aimed at destroying the pathogen, symptomatic treatment is used: droppers to relieve general intoxication, lowering body temperature, drugs to normalize the functioning of the heart, intestines, kidneys and liver, immune drugs, etc.

Complications after piroplasmosis in dogs

The health of a dog that has survived piroplasmosis can be seriously impaired. Due to the harmful activity of parasites, the work of many organs and systems of the animal is damaged, namely:

• Anemia develops due to the destruction of red blood cells.
• Blockage of the kidney tubules by urine hemoglobin crystals leads to kidney failure.
• Toxic hepatitis is the result of severe intoxication.
• Oxygen starvation of tissues leads to respiratory failure and the development of arrhythmia.
• Seizures can be caused by hypoxic brain damage.

Complications after piroplasmosis in a dog may require additional treatment

Prevention

Since the exact cause of infection of individual individuals has not been identified, no drug prevention is provided. You can only get vaccinated if there is no concern about the body’s reaction to it.

You need to closely monitor an animal whose behavior seems unusual.

It is important to follow simple rules:

• after a walk outside, especially in spring and summer, carefully examine the skin for the presence of parasites;
• wear special collars;
• use special sprays, shampoos and insect repellents;
• do not let your cat roam in dense, deserted bushes;
• carefully comb your pet's fur;
• If a tick is found, remove it immediately;
• Monitor the bite site and signs of infection for at least a week.

It is necessary to take preventive measures in full. If a cat has already been ill, there is no guarantee that the problem will not affect him again, because statistics are based on officially registered cases. No one knows how many more animals could have been harmed.

When using preventive medications, you need to consult a veterinarian to determine whether the component included in the product will negatively affect the animal.

Don't forget to check your pet for fleas and ticks after every walk. Found insects must be removed and destroyed. If the ixodid tick has managed to attach itself, then it is better to immediately go to the veterinary clinic. The specialist will not only remove it from the body, but also analyze it for infection.

There are no specific prophylactic agents. To avoid the disease, use repellents, anti-tick medications, collars, and folk remedies.

• Drops on the withers. The solution is applied to the skin in a place inaccessible to licking. Rub it in with your finger. The drops begin to act after 24 hours. The effect lasts up to 2 months. The active substances have insectoacaricidal properties. Ticks cause paralysis and death occurs within minutes. The active components of modern products do not enter the systemic bloodstream, accumulate in the sebaceous ducts, and gradually cover the entire coat. Parasites enter the body through contact and food. Ticks fall to the ground after 5 minutes of being on the treated wool. Effective drugs Frontline, Bars, Bayer Advocate.
• Spray. Works similarly to drops. Processing is carried out in the fresh air. The spray is sprayed onto the fur all over the body. Leave to dry, after 2 hours comb with a comb. The drug is completely absorbed and begins to act within a day. The maximum effect from mites lasts 1-2 months. Effective drugs Palladium, Beaphar, Sentry, Api-San Dana.
• Collars. The active substances enter the sebaceous ducts upon contact with the skin. In 2 hours they are distributed throughout the body. Protect cats from ticks for 1 to 6 months. You need to put the collar on your pet’s neck, tighten it, and cut off the excess part. Effective drugs Bayer Foresto, Beaphar, Hartz.

Essential oils are used as additional protection. Ticks cannot tolerate the smell of lavender, citronella, orange, geranium, lemongrass, and cedar. Cats should be examined periodically and ticks removed.

Treat the cat according to the instructions for each such drug and the recommendation of a specialist. It must be remembered that an animal can become infected more than once with this insidious disease. Therefore, treatments should be regular and annual. Last but not least is strengthening the immune system. A good supporting remedy is echinacea mixture and vitamin complexes.

There is no vaccine that provides a 100% guarantee.

Piroplasmosis: symptoms, prevention, treatment

Piroplasmosis: symptoms, prevention, treatment

Konstantinovsky Alexander Andreevich
Veterinary surgeon.
Veterinary ophthalmology specialist. Diploma winner from the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation. Area of ​​scientific interests: ophthalmology, eye microsurgery, plastic, vascular, optical reconstructive surgery.

Chief physician of Doctor Meow LLC since January 2007

Piroplasmosis is a common disease worldwide that is caused by protozoan microorganisms transmitted by ticks of the genera Dermacentor and Rhipicephalus.

With the exception of tick-borne transmission, mechanical transmission through syringes or blood transfusions is possible in rare cases.

Dogs that are taken out into nature are more likely to get sick in the spring, summer and autumn.

The incubation period for natural infection ranges from 10 days to 3 weeks. With artificial infection through blood transfusion, the first parasitemia occurs after 1 day, lasting 4 days. The parasites then temporarily disappear from the peripheral blood; after 10-12 days, a second, more massive parasitemia follows, which is accompanied by intra- and extravascular hemolysis.

Pyroplasmas destroy blood cells, mainly red blood cells. As a result, the body experiences oxygen starvation. The remains of destroyed red blood cells and hemoglobin are excreted in large quantities by the kidneys, leading to impaired filtration of urine. Invaded (infected) red blood cells are captured and digested by macrophages. With all these problems, one should not forget about the toxins that are released as a result of the vital activity of piroplasms. All this leads to disruption of the activity of various organs, including the kidneys, liver, and lungs.

Symptoms

The symptoms of this disease vary widely and depend on the severity of the disease, which can occur in subacute, acute, chronic and latent forms.

Young dogs, stressed dogs, and dogs that are simultaneously infected with other parasites may die in the subacute setting from cardiovascular failure, pulmonary edema, or consumptive coagulopathy (DIC).

Typical acute symptoms are lethargy, weakness, elevated temperature (up to 42ºC), pale or yellowish color of mucous membranes, reddish or greenish-brown urine, signs of renal failure, jaundice, hepato- and splenomegaly. In the last stage, convulsions develop and respiratory and heart failure may increase.

The chronic course can be characterized by fever, exhaustion, lethargy, decreased appetite, signs of renal failure and jaundice. Less commonly observed are peripheral edema, hemorrhagic diarrhea, petechial bleeding from the mucous membranes, ulcerative stomatitis and neuromuscular disorders.

With hemoglobinuria (blood in the urine), clonic and tonic convulsions, hypertonicity and the absence of competent etiotropic therapy, dogs usually die.

Laboratory results

Typical laboratory findings include: accelerated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), elevated serum protein, hemolytic regenerative anemia with mild to severe thrombocytopenia, marked leukocytosis with left nuclear shift and monocytosis, hemoglobinuria, bilirubinemia, bilirubinuria, proteinuria with hyaline cylinders.

Diagnosis verification

Important in making a clinical diagnosis is a correct and thorough study of the anamnesis: whether they were in nature, whether ticks were removed, whether the animal was treated against ectoparasites...

An accurate diagnosis is made by microscopic examination of capillary blood taken from the ear or nail bed. After staining according to Romanovsky-Giemsa, pear-shaped piroplasms are found in erythrocytes, often located in pairs. A negative test result does not exclude babasiasis (chronic cases, asymptomatic carrier). In such cases, you can additionally use the indirect immunofluorescence method or the ELISA method. The boundaries of the range of vaccination titers can distort the result at low titers of the pathogen.

Differential diagnosis

Clinically, the acute course may resemble a number of infectious diseases: canine plague, infectious hepatitis and leptospirosis. Piroplasmosis should be distinguished from autoimmune hemolytic anemia, drug-induced or toxic hemolytic anemia: hemobartonellosis; Helwellic acid poisoning (morels, stitches).

Forecast

The prognosis is influenced by severity, age, timely diagnosis and therapy. It is questionable in dogs in shock and with acidosis. In chronic cases, spontaneous recovery is possible after 2 months.

Treatment

In mild and chronic cases of the disease, only one of the anti-babesia drugs can be used: veribene, berenil or the rarely used azidine. Before using these drugs, dogs should be hyperhydrated (infusion therapy) with Ringer's solution or other crystalloid and colloid solutions. Moreover, a hematocrit value below 15-20% requires fresh blood transfusion, which must be administered slowly until the hematocrit value reaches 20-25%.

For successful treatment of piroplasmosis, it is recommended to use a vitamin B complex, iron supplements, diuretics and anabolics. In case of acidosis, sodium bicarbonate is added to the infusion solution (dropper). Treatment of this serious disease only with antiprotozoal drugs is not only incorrect, but is also often harmful to the dog’s health.

Prevention

To prevent piroplasmosis, special collars, sprays and drops on the withers are used to repel ixodid ticks. Read more about this in the article “Methods of protection against fleas, ticks and mosquitoes.”

In addition, there is an inactivated Pirodog® vaccine that can be given to dogs 2-3 months before traveling abroad. Vaccination prevents deaths, but infection is possible despite vaccination.

Prevention of babesiosis

Treating piroplasmosis is much more difficult than taking preventive measures to combat possible infection. The first step is to prevent ticks from infesting cats. To do this, periodically, especially in the spring and summer, you should treat the animal with special drops that are applied to the skin at the withers, and also use a special anti-tick spray immediately before a walk.

Feline piroplasmosis is a dangerous disease caused by microorganisms that parasitize the animal’s circulatory system. After the first symptoms appear, the disease develops very rapidly and, in the absence of timely medical assistance, can cause the death of the animal.

Cats of any breed and any age can get babesiosis, so it is very important to take preventive measures. They should be aimed at preventing the pet from being affected by ixodid ticks, which are carriers of a dangerous disease.

How does the disease manifest itself?

The main signs of piroplasmosis at the early stage of the disease are:

• general lethargy and apathy - the animal gets tired quickly and sleeps more than usual;
• loss of appetite;
• sudden weight loss against the background of rising temperature (+41 °C or more);
• obvious shortness of breath and rapid heartbeat;
• noticeable yellowing of the mucous membrane of the eyes and mouth (especially noticeable in chronic cases).

Did you know? In case of danger, cats can accelerate to 50 km/h in a short time.

The latter is associated with the accelerated destruction of red blood cells as a result of the action of the parasite. Otherwise, the symptoms overlap with the manifestations of other diseases (such as anemia of various types or opisthorchiasis). But babesiosis is distinguished by its dynamics - if you do not contact a veterinarian, already 2-3 days after the appearance of the first symptoms it becomes more serious. Among them:

• extremely difficult breathing;
• slow pulse;
• paralysis of the limbs is possible;
• lack of discharge due to constipation.

In total, these troubles can lead to a sad outcome, so it is better not to delay a visit to the veterinarian.
Professional diagnostics will provide a more complete picture. In this case, methods such as serological blood tests, smear microscopy and PCR are used.

The first two are not particularly accurate: due to the small size of the specific pathogen, it is easy to confuse it with other parasites (for example, with Haemobortanella, which causes infectious anemia). The rarity of the disease also adds to the complexity - not all doctors and laboratory technicians have encountered it in practice.

Important! If your cat has lost its appetite for no apparent reason, pay attention to the amount of water in the bowl - refusal of the usual portions of food is often accompanied by dehydration and thirst. Make sure there is constant access to clean liquid.

In such cases, they resort to the PCR method (polymer chain reaction). Usually a blood sample or scraping from the mucous membrane is taken. This is followed by multi-stage processing of the collection, up to the isolation of RNA and DNA fragments, followed by special tests. Such an analysis is not cheap, but the results will be reliable.

Toxoplasmosis and demodicosis are diseases that are also caused by parasites.

After reading their explanation and making sure that the parasite is present, the veterinarian prescribes treatment.