Journal Article

First autochthonous clinical case of Hepatozoon silvestris in a domestic cat in Italy with unusual presentation

Dotto, Giorgia, Simonato, Giulia, Franco, Vittoria, Gelain, Maria Elena, Manzocchi, Simone, Zini, Eric, Cavicchioli, Laura, Salvatore, Giovanna, Morelli, Simone, Grillini, Marika

2022

Overview

Hepatozoon spp. is the causative agent of a vector-borne parasitic disease in many animal species. In felids, Hepatozoon felis, Hepatozoon canis and Hepatozoon silvestris have been molecularly isolated. Hepatozoonosis usually causes asymptomatic infections in domestic cats, but clinical cases have recently been reported in Europe. We describe the first Italian case of hepatozoonosis in a cat with an unusual presentation. An 11-year-old neutered European shorthair cat was urgently hospitalized for intestinal intussusception. Hematology, biochemistry, FIV-FeLV tests, blood smears and molecular investigation targeting the 18S rRNA gene of Hepatozoon spp. were performed on blood samples; in addition, histological and molecular investigations were performed to analyze surgical samples to identify Hepatozoon infection. Hepatozoon gamonts were detected in granulocytes in the blood smear, and Hepatozoon spp. DNA was confirmed by PCR on blood. The intussusception was caused by a sessile endoluminal nodule that was surgically removed. Histologically, many elements referring to parasitic tissue forms were identified in the intestinal cells, and then the specimens were molecularly confirmed to harbor H. silvestris . This is the first description of symptomatic hepatozoonosis in a domestic cat in Italy. Hepatozoon silvestris has been described in wild felids, which are usually resilient to the infection, whereas the domestic cat seems to be more susceptible. Indeed, H. silvestris in cats usually presents tropism for skeletal muscle and myocardium with subsequent clinical manifestations. This is the first description of a domestic cat with H. silvestris localized in the intestinal epithelium and associated with intussusception. Graphical abstract

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Abdomen / Animal diseases / Animal species / Animals / Anorexia / Arthropods / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Biomedicine / Blood / Blood tests / Brief Report / Care and treatment / Cats / Causes of / Deoxyribonucleic acid / Diagnosis / Diseases / DNA / Domestic animals / Domestic cat / Entomology / Epithelium / etiological agents / Felidae / gametocytes / genes / granulocytes / Haematology / hematology / Hepatozoon / Hepatozoon canis / Hepatozoon felis / Hepatozoon silvestris / histology / Identification and classification / Infection / Infections / Infectious Diseases / intestinal mucosa / Intestinal nodule / Intestinal obstruction / Intestine / Intestines / Intussusception / Italy / Laboratories / Leukocytes (granulocytic) / Muscles / Myocarditis / Myocardium / Nucleotide sequence / Parasites / Parasitic diseases / Parasitology / Parasitoses / Pathogens / Predation / Risk factors / RNA / rRNA 18S / Skeletal muscle / species / Sporozoa / Tropical Medicine / Tropism / Tropisms / Ultrasonic imaging / Vector-borne diseases / Vectors (Biology) / Veterinary Medicine/Veterinary Science / Veterinary supplies industry / Virology