Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 13, 2026
08:48
Identification of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in Paraffin-Embedded Feline Arterial Thrombi using Immunofluorescence Microscopy
Published on: March 29, 2020
Disseminated histoplasmosis in a cat in Europe
A Mavropoulou1, G Grandi, L Calvi
1Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Parma, Italy.
The Journal of Small Animal Practice
|April 22, 2010
Summary
This study reports the first case of feline histoplasmosis in Europe. The cat presented with gastrointestinal signs, and the diagnosis of Histoplasma capsulatum infection was confirmed post-mortem.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Mycology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Histoplasmosis is a systemic fungal infection caused by Histoplasma capsulatum.
- While endemic in parts of the Americas, its occurrence in other regions is less common.
- Feline histoplasmosis can present with diverse clinical signs, often mimicking other gastrointestinal diseases.
Observation:
- A cat exhibited vomiting, anorexia, weight loss, and an abdominal mass.
- Abdominal ultrasound revealed lymphadenopathy, intestinal thickening, and peritoneal fluid.
- Cytology identified yeast-like organisms consistent with Histoplasma capsulatum within macrophages.
Findings:
- Post-mortem examination confirmed disseminated histoplasmosis with granulomatous lesions in multiple organs.
- Grocott staining and immunohistochemistry (IHC) highlighted numerous fungal organisms.
- The case represents the first documented instance of feline histoplasmosis in Europe.
Implications:
- This finding expands the known geographic range of Histoplasma capsulatum in feline infections.
- It highlights the importance of considering histoplasmosis in cats with compatible clinical signs, even outside endemic areas.
- Early diagnosis and treatment could potentially improve outcomes for feline histoplasmosis.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis, a zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, poses significant public health challenges globally due to its high seroprevalence and varied clinical manifestations. As an obligate intracellular parasite, T. gondii can infect all warm-blooded vertebrates, but felids are its only definitive hosts, shedding unsporulated oocysts into the environment. Humans typically acquire the infection through ingestion of tissue cysts in undercooked meat or oocysts from...
01:26Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) is a severe tick-borne illness caused by Rickettsia rickettsii, a Gram-negative, coccobacillary bacterium. This pathogen is an obligate intracellular parasite, requiring a host cell for replication. Transmission occurs through the bite of an infected tick. In the United States, the most important vectors are Dermacentor variabilis (American dog tick) and Dermacentor andersoni (Rocky Mountain wood tick), though other tick species may also serve as vectors.
01:22American Trypanosomiasis
Chagas disease, or American trypanosomiasis, is a vector-borne parasitic infection caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a flagellated protozoan (kinetoplastid) of the family Trypanosomatidae. The disease is endemic in Latin America, although cases are increasingly reported worldwide due to human migration. Transmission most commonly occurs when feces of infected triatomine bugs contaminate bite wounds or mucosal surfaces; additional routes include congenital, transfusional, transplant-related, and oral...
01:28Amebiasis
Entamoeba histolytica, a protozoan parasite, is responsible for intestinal and extraintestinal amebiasis. Though a significant proportion of infections remain asymptomatic, approximately 50 million individuals annually are estimated to present with clinical disease, resulting in up to 100,000 deaths globally. The disease burden is disproportionately high in regions with lower socioeconomic status, such as parts of India, Africa, Mexico, and Latin America.Etiology and TransmissionThe infective...