Vlasta Svobodová

InPouch™ TF-Feline medium is not specific for Tritrichomonas foetus.

Trichomonads are a group of anaerobic flagellates. Two species of intestinal trichomonads have been described in cats - pathogenic Tritrichomonas foetus and probably harmless Pentatrichomonas hominis. InPouch™ TF-Feline medium (Bio-Med Diagnostics, White City, Oregon, USA) is considered the gold standard for diagnosis of T. foetus infection in cats. It is commercially available, relatively cheap and easy-to-use. The medium is intended to be highly specific to T. foetus as morphologically similar Pentatrichomonas hominis and Giardia sp. do not survive here longer than 24h. In this study we successfully cultivated P. hominis in InPouch™ TF-Feline medium for 3 days after inoculation with cat faeces. The identity of the organism was assessed by sequencing of SSU rDNA and ITS region. Possible coinfection with T. foetus was ruled out using Tritrichomonas-specific PCR. Our results suggest possible misdiagnosis of tritrichomonosis in cats using InPouch™ TF-Feline medium. PCR-based verification of culture-positive samples prior the potentially neurotoxic ronidazole treatment is recommended.

Canine leishmaniosis in three consecutive generations of dogs in Czech Republic

Transmission of canine leishmaniosis (CanL) is described in three consecutive generations of female Boxers living in a non-endemic environment in the Czech Republic. Infection of the first generation female likely occurred during a breeding visit to Italy and the dog died with typical clinical signs of the disease but without definitive laboratory diagnosis. The second and third generation offsprings never left the Czech Republic, suffered from clinical CanL confirmed by polymerase chain reaction and serology, and were apparently infected by transplacental transmission. Persistence of CanL in the Czech Republic over 7 years with a suspected origin in an endemic region and progression of infection through subsequent generations in a non-endemic country exemplifies that this disease may establish itself also in areas where no obvious vectors are present.