Infection with piroplasmosis

Babesia, or piroplasma, is an intracellular parasite that multiplies in red blood cells - erythrocytes. This destroys cells. As a result, the body suffers from anemia - a low number of red blood cells, intoxication, including bilirubin, and an active immune reaction.

The parasite can enter the body through the bite of an ixodid (“encephalitis”) tick. A prerequisite is that the tick must have previously, perhaps several years before a specific infection, bitten a sick animal.

Babesia are species specific. In central Russia, this disease is widespread among large and small livestock and among dogs, but in different animal species it is caused by different types of parasite. That is, a tick that has bitten a sick cow will not harm the dog. Surprisingly, babesiosis is not transmitted from animal to animal, even through blood contact, even within a species: to become infectious, babesia needs to be treated in the body of a tick.

Many parasitic diseases, including babesiosis, require a specific chain of intermediate hosts. That is, in one region the following must be collected: a specific type of Babesia that infects cats, the cats themselves, as well as a specific species of the large family of ixodid ticks. The dogs were unlucky: in the temperate climate zone of the entire Northern Hemisphere, these factors came together. This is the reason for mass diseases. But it’s easier for cats: for the cycle there is not enough parasite, then the necessary tick, or a cat, and therefore a mass incidence of piroplasmosis in animals of this species has not yet been noted.

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Causes and route of infection

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. 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.

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.

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.

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.

Piroplasmosis is a seasonal or “dacha” disease. It usually starts in April and ends in October. The indicated gap is not accidental: the carrier of the disease is the ixodid tick infected with piroplasma. When an animal is bitten by a tick, intracellular Babesia parasites enter the latter's bloodstream.

In animals with piroplasmosis, the level of red blood cells is 2-3 times lower than in healthy animals.

To date, it has been precisely established that cats suffer from piroplasmosis infrequently: over the past 20 years, about 10 cases have been recorded in Russia. At the same time, it has been scientifically proven that cats are attacked by the parasite Babesia felis. They are several times smaller than Babesia canis, an intracellular parasite that commonly causes piroplasmosis in dogs.

Can infection occur from a sick animal? Veterinarians do not rule out this possibility if there are wounds on the skin of the cat in contact with him. Infection through blood transfusion is also likely.

All pets enjoy walks in nature. Unfortunately, this is not always safe. With the onset of warm days, ticks, which are carriers of dangerous diseases, are released into the wild. Such ailments include piroplasmosis. Many veterinarians still believe that this disease is dangerous only for dogs, but recent clinical studies have refuted this theory.

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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.

Symptoms of piroplasmosis in cats

Once in the bloodstream, Babesia penetrates erythrocytes - red blood cells, and begins to actively multiply in them. Parasites of large and small livestock divide twice, and as a result, from 1 parasite you get 4; canine Babesia divide only in two, and cat Babesia can divide in both ways. Reproduction of piroplasms leads to the death of red blood cells.

They break up into fragments, the blood is filled with free bilirubin, which poisons the animal. The bone marrow does not have time to reproduce red blood cells to replace the dead ones, and as a result, anemia increases in the animal.

A lack of blood cells leads to the fact that all tissues of the body, including vital organs, do not receive enough oxygen. As a result, the function of the kidneys, liver, and brain is impaired. All organs and systems of the body fail. This is the reason for the death of the animal.

The clinical picture of piroplasmosis in dogs is well known to owners. This is yellowness of the mucous membranes and sclera, orange feces, darkening of urine, high temperature. It looks like cow and sheep babesiosis. But piroplasma infection in cats looks completely different.

1. Fever is extremely rare.
2. Jaundice almost never occurs.
3. Symptoms of anemia come to the fore: the mucous membranes are white, the animal is lethargic.
4. Dyspnea and tachycardia are common.

Without treatment, the disease ends in the death of the animal due to increasing anemia.

How to understand that a cat is sick with piroplasmosis?

To determine piroplasmosis, you can use one of three diagnostic methods: PCR, microscopic and serological. The first option in this case is more reliable, since it allows you to identify the genome of the pathogen. Microscopic analysis in this case may be inaccurate, since the parasites are very small, which is why they can easily be confused with other blood parasites. Also, an insufficiently experienced laboratory technician may mistake the causative agent of infectious anemia for Babesia. These two diseases have similar symptoms and clinical presentation, but require completely different treatments.

It is believed that small and young animals, as well as Siamese cats, are most susceptible to piroplasmosis.

Symptoms of piroplasmosis in cats:

• Apathy, lethargy and fatigue too quickly.
• Poor appetite.
• Temperature rises to 41 degrees and above.
• The appearance of shortness of breath.
• Sudden weight loss in the cat, sometimes to the point of anorexia.
• Yellowing of the mucous membranes, which occurs due to the destruction of red blood cells.
• Anemia.

If the disease was not identified in time and treatment was not started, the symptoms will worsen:

• Slow heart rate and difficulty breathing.
• Blood in urine.
• Paralysis.
• Intestinal atony.

Without treatment, this disease has a high chance of ending in the death of the cat.

Piroplasmosis is a rapidly progressive disease, which is explained by the high rate of reproduction of Babesia in erythrocytes. So, in the most severe cases, the death of the animal can occur within a few days after the onset of symptoms. Therefore, it is very important that if these symptoms are detected, contact your veterinarian as soon as possible and get blood tests.

Establishing diagnosis

Since the symptoms of babesiosis can indicate many different diseases, its diagnosis begins in the standard way - with a clinical examination and a survey of the owners. Clinical and biochemical blood tests are immediately prescribed.

If blood parasitic diseases are suspected, and this occurs if a clinical blood test reveals a decrease in red blood cells and hemoglobin, a test for hemoparasites is prescribed. It can be performed in two ways: blood smear microscopy and PCR.

Feline babesiosis must be distinguished from hemobartonellosis. Both diseases cause increasing anemia, but are treated differently. The optimal diagnostic methods also differ: hemobartonellosis is a relatively common disease, and PCR methods exist and are widespread for it. Babesiosis in cats and dogs is caused by at least 5 different types of blood parasites: 1 for cats and 4 for dogs. For canine Babesias, the method is again common; both Babesiacanis and Babesiagibsoni, Babesiamicroti and Babesiaconradae can be determined. If the laboratory can determine PCR for Babesiasp., that is, all known types of piroplasms, such an analysis is suitable for a cat.

Microscopy is a less accurate analysis; it is not always possible to detect parasites, especially since different types of parasites look different, and Russian laboratory doctors, due to the exotic nature of feline piroplasms, have difficulty visually diagnosing them.

Therefore, for cats with suspected babesiosis and a negative test for hemobartonellosis in the southern regions, it is advisable to carry out PCR for piroplasmosis.

Prognosis of piroplasmosis in cats

Regardless of the form in which the disease occurs (acute or chronic), the cat tolerates it very hard. Recovery depends entirely on the body, or rather on the immune system. If the pet's immunity is strong, the body will have to overcome the parasites. A young body is able to cope with the disease faster.

Without proper treatment, your cat will develop serious complications. Red blood cells die en masse, macrophages cannot cope with so many dead cells, and all this leads to the following consequences:

1. Kidney failure, which occurs when groups of dead blood cells form clots that clog the kidney tubules.
2. As you know, red blood cells transport oxygen to all tissues and take away carbon dioxide. The fewer red blood cells there are, the less oxygen there will be in the body.
3. The most dangerous thing is that intoxication occurs due to a large number of red blood cells, and ultimately death.
4. Acute pancreatic insufficiency develops
5. Acute liver failure develops
6. Splenitis (inflammation of the spleen) may begin.

If piroplasmosis becomes severe and symptoms of complications appear, then treatment and recovery of the body will be greatly delayed. But sometimes, the chronic stage can end with an unexpected recovery after several months of suffering for the pet.

An important point is to follow all the doctor’s recommendations after treatment, including limiting the pet’s mobility for 7-10 days (do not climb trees, do not jump around yards). This is the only way to prevent a relapse.

Symptoms and first signs of piroplasmosis

Any breeder needs to know the symptoms and first signs of feline piroplasmosis (however, they are not much different from the canine variety):

• The animal becomes unusually lethargic, refuses active games and tries to spend as much time as possible lying down in some dark corner.
• Accordingly, the cat’s appetite sharply worsens or completely disappears. Some pets completely refuse to eat from the very first days of illness, which leads to catastrophically sharp weight loss.
• In many cases, shortness of breath develops and the cat's breathing becomes fast and shallow.
• Fever is characterized by a constant or intermittent type, when the body temperature can rise to 41° Celsius (or higher).
• Even in the case of a sluggish course of the disease, the development of progressive exhaustion is characteristic. In this case, the cat may become like a “bag of bones.”

Since piroplasma affects red blood cells (erythrocytes), resulting in the destruction of the latter, hemoglobinuria may develop (in other words, blood appears in the urine).

For cases of chronic piroplasmosis, jaundice is more typical. Jaundice (icterus) primarily manifests itself on all visible mucous membranes; in severe and advanced cases, even the skin may turn yellow.

At the same time, the pet's fur becomes hard and rough. But still, the most serious consequence of the rapid proliferation of piroplasms in the blood is the destruction of an increasing number of red blood cells. In chronic cases, it even comes to the appearance of their nuclear forms: the body, trying to cope with the lack of red blood cells, begins to release their immature, “premature” forms into the general bloodstream.

If the pet is not treated, the clinical picture will become increasingly severe:

• The pet's heart rate slows down significantly (as a result, the pulse also slows down).
• In many cases, there is heavy, slow breathing.
• Since problems with innervation develop against the background of severe intoxication, this also greatly affects digestion. The animal's peristalsis slows down greatly, as a result of which the likelihood of constipation greatly increases. If this happens, the cat’s condition (due to increased general intoxication) worsens even more.
• Again, severe intoxication can lead to neurological seizures, as well as paresis and paralysis.
• If a cat does not receive qualified help, then it either dies or (which is very likely) becomes a carrier of piroplasmosis. In cases where the immunity of such an animal sharply deteriorates, the disease can again become acute. If this happens closer to old age, the cat is likely to die (his body at this time is especially sensitive to intoxication and its consequences).

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Fortunately, transmission routes in cats are extremely limited. More precisely, there is only one proven and generally accepted route of invasion: through the bites of parasitic ixodid ticks. This disease cannot be transmitted by other means under any circumstances!

Treatment of piroplasmosis in cats

The treatment regimen for feline piroplasmosis is the same as for all blood parasitic infections. First of all, an antiprotozoal drug is prescribed that will kill the Babesia. The antimalarial drug primaquine phosphate is successfully used in cats, but caution is used: the lethal dose of this drug is only 2 times higher than the therapeutic dose. There is evidence of a cat being cured using a combination of imidocarb and doxycycline.

The second task is to relieve intoxication, which is caused by the death of red blood cells and the immune response to their introduction into the body. For this, infusions (droppers) are used to help remove toxins through the kidneys.

The third is symptomatic therapy, which can include anything from antiemetics to blood transfusions.

The fourth is monitoring the harm that the disease has caused to the animal and correcting disorders of the internal organs.

As a result, the treatment regimen for feline babesiosis is extremely individual and must be worked out for each specific case, taking into account the cat’s condition.

Disease prevention

The basis of prevention is treating the animal with acaricidal agents and avoiding tick bites. After walking your cat in an unfamiliar place, you should inspect its fur and skin!

Vaccines against piroplasmosis exist, but their effectiveness remains unproven.

First of all, protection against ticks in the spring and autumn comes to mind. That’s right - whoever is protected is armed! These include drops (Bars), sprays (Frontline, Fipron), ointments (Bars), and special shampoos, gels (Avanpost), and even collars (Bars) that have a repellent effect. You need to look for them in a veterinary pharmacy, after consulting a doctor.

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.

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The main preventive measures are treating the animal with acaricidal agents and preventing ixodid tick bites. The drugs can be in the form of a spray (they begin to act immediately after treatment) and in the form of drops on the withers (it takes a day to activate). Protective shampoos and acaricidal collars will also help prevent piroplasmosis in cats.

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.

So, modern scientists were able to get an answer to the question: “Do cats get piroplasmosis?” Unfortunately, the answer is yes. Therefore, during the period of tick activity, cat owners should pay great attention to the prevention of this serious disease, the outcome of which can be fatal.

To prevent your pet from becoming infected with piroplasmosis, it is necessary, first of all, to protect it from attacks by ixodid ticks. Therefore, for a walk, it is better to choose places where the likelihood of these blood-sucking insects appearing is extremely low, for example, a sunny meadow blown by the wind. It is better to walk with the animal at noon, when the bloodsuckers are hiding and not hunting.

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.

The presence of piroplasmosis in domestic cats is not a particularly proven fact, but there are other blood parasites transmitted by ticks that can cause serious systemic disease. Therefore, we should talk about the prevention of, if not babesiosis, but at least anaplasmosis and theileriosis, which together belong to one general group of vector-borne diseases - hemosporidosis.

First of all, to prevent the possibility of infection, they try to protect the animal by all means from attacks and tick bites. Protection is provided with the help of acaricidal spray, drops, injections, and a collar.

It is advisable to work according to the following scheme during the season (spring, autumn) when ticks are active: use drops (according to the instructions, they are applied to the skin along the withers; the acaricide is effective for 4-6 months), and when going outside, the cat is additionally treated with a spray.

After a walk, the animal is carefully examined for the presence of ticks. All detected insects are removed using tweezers and burned. Under no circumstances should the tick be pulled off, only carefully twisted out.

In the future, you should carefully monitor the animal’s condition; any deterioration is an alarm that requires an immediate visit to a veterinarian and a full examination of the cat.

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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.