The trichomonad species Tritrichomonas foetus and Pentatrichomonas hominis were recently detected in the feces of dogs with diarrhea. However, little information is available on the prevalence and pathogenicity of these parasites in the canine population. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and molecular characterization of trichomonads infecting pet dogs in Anhui and Zhejiang provinces, east China. In total, 315 pet dogs, with or without diarrhea, from 7 pet hospitals were included in this epidemiological survey. Microscopy and PCR detected P. hominis in 19.7% (62/315) and 31.4% (99/315) of fecal samples, respectively. T. foetus infection was detected in 0% (0/315) of samples with microscopy and in 0.6% (2/315) with PCR. The prevalence of P. hominis was significantly higher in young dogs (≤12 months) than in adult dogs (>12 months), and was significantly higher in diarrheic dogs (50.6%) than in non-diarrheic dogs (24.3%; P<0.05). Infection with T. foetus did not correlate with any risk factors evaluated in this study. A sequence analysis of the P. hominis PCR products showed minor allelic variations between our sequences and those of P. hominis strains from other hosts in different parts of the world. Type CC1 was the most common strain in dogs in east China. The internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1)-5.8S rRNA gene sequences from the 2 T. foetus isolates detected in this study displayed 100% identity and were homologous to the sequences of other strains isolated from domestic cats in other countries.
Adult ; Animals ; Cats ; China* ; Diarrhea ; Dogs* ; Feces ; Genes, rRNA ; Humans ; Microscopy ; Parasites ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence* ; Risk Factors ; Sequence Analysis ; Tritrichomonas foetus ; Virulence

Feline intestinal tritrichomoniasis by Tritrichomonas foetus was first recognized in USA in 1999 and has so far been reported from UK, Norway, Switzerland, and Australia, but not from the Far East Asian countries. In November 2008, 2 female and male littermate Siamese cats, 6-month old, raised in a household in Korea were referred from a local veterinary clinic with a history of chronic persistent diarrhea. A direct smear examination of fecal specimens revealed numerous trichomonad trophozoites which were isolated by the fecal culture in InPouch(TM) TF-Feline medium. A PCR testing of the isolate based on the amplification of a conserved portion of the T. foetus internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions (ITS1 and ITS2) and the 5.8S rRNA gene, and the molecular sequencing of the PCR amplicons confirmed infection with T. foetus. This is the first clinical case of feline intestinal trichomoniasis caused by T. foetus in Korea.
Animals ; Base Sequence ; Cat Diseases/*parasitology ; Cats ; Feces/parasitology ; Female ; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/parasitology/*veterinary ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Protozoan Infections, Animal/*parasitology ; Republic of Korea ; Tritrichomonas foetus/genetics/*isolation & purification

To evaluate the efficacy of ronidazole for treatment of Tritrichomonas foetus infection, 6 Tritrichomonas-free kittens were experimentally infected with a Korean isolate of T. foetus. The experimental infection was confirmed by direct microscopy, culture, and single-tube nested PCR, and all cats demonstrated trophozoites of T. foetus by day 20 post-infection in the feces. From day 30 after the experimentally induced infection, 3 cats were treated with ronidazole (50 mg/kg twice a day for 14 days) and 3 other cats received placebo. Feces from each cat were tested for the presence of T. foetus by direct smear and culture of rectal swab samples using modified Diamond's medium once a week for 4 weeks. To confirm the culture results, the presence of T. foetus rRNA gene was determined by single-tube nested PCR assay. All 3 cats in the treatment group receiving ronidazole showed negative results for T. foetus infection during 2 weeks of treatment and 4 weeks follow-up by all detection methods used in this study. In contrast, rectal swab samples from cats in the control group were positive for T. foetus continuously throughout the study. The present study indicates that ronidazole is also effective to treat cats infected experimentally with a Korean isolate of T. foetus at a dose of 50 mg/kg twice a day for 14 days.
Animals ; Antiprotozoal Agents/*administration & dosage ; Cat Diseases/*drug therapy/parasitology ; Cats ; Disease Models, Animal ; Feces/parasitology ; Male ; Parasitology/methods ; Placebos/administration & dosage ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods ; Protozoan Infections/*drug therapy/parasitology ; Ronidazole/*administration & dosage ; Treatment Outcome ; Tritrichomonas foetus/genetics/isolation & purification/*pathogenicity

Researches in veterinary protozoology until the end of World War II were carried out entirely by Japanese workers such as Danagga, Yamada, Yuhoba and Isshiki. After the Korean war, investigations have been made by several Korean researchers such as Lee's, Son, Joen and Jang. The total species and genera of veterinary protozoa reported by authors up to date were 19 genera and 59 species except the commensal ciliates. Incidence of the protozoa were carried out for 4 years(1972-l975) by examining fecal samples and vaginal swabs in order to know the parasitic status of the domestic animals and poultry. The results are shown as followings. In dairy cattle: Entamoeba bovis 41.4 per cent , Eimeria spp. 5.6-15.0 per cent. In native cattle: Entamoeba bovis 47.6 per cent, Tritrichomonas foetus 8.5 per cent. In native horse: Eimeria sp. 10.0 per cent. In goat: Eimeria spp. 100 per cent. In swine: Entamoeba spp. 55.44 per cent, Eimeria spp. 20 per cent, Balantidium coli 66.58 per cent. In dog: Isospora bigemina(Large type) 8.7 per cent, Giardia canis 4.4 per cent. In cat: Isospora spp. 12.8 per cent. In hare: Entamoeba cuniculi 12.0 per cent, Eimeria spp. 20.0 per cent, Chilomastix cuniculi 12.0 per cent , Giardia cuniculi 4.0 per cent. In turkey: Eimeria spp. 33.3 per cent, Hexamita meleagriais 8.3 per cent. In chicken: Eimeria spp. 26.8 per cent. The main protozoan diseases of the domestic animals and poultry in Korea may be summarized from the data reported and surveyed as followings. Coccidiosis; poultry, hare, goat, cattle, swine. Theileriasis; cattle. Babesiasis; cattle, dog. Anaplasmosis; cattle, goat. Eperythrozoonosis; cattle, swine. Leucocytozoonosis; chicken. Histomoniasis; chicken. Toxoplasmosis; swine, cat. Balantidiasis; swine. Besnoitiosis; native cattle. Amoebiasis; swine, cattle. Sarcosporidiosis; Cattle, swine.
parasitology-protozoa ; epidemiology ; cattle ; horse ; swine ; dog ; hare ; turkey ; cat ; Entamoeba bovis ; Eimeria spp. ; tritrichomonas foetus ; Entamoeba spp. ; Balantidium coli ; Isospora bigemina ; Giardia canis ; Isospora spp. ; Entamoeba cuniculi ; Chilomastix cuniculi ; Giardia cuniculi ; Hexamita meleagriais ; Coccidiosis ; Theileriasis ; Babesiasis ; Anaplasmosis ; Eperythrozoonosis ; Leucocytozoonosis ; Histomoniasis ; Toxoplasmosis ; Balantidiasis ; Besnoitiosis ; Amoebiasis ; Sarcosporidiosis