Tritrichomonas foetus in a cattery: management

Question

A breeder has 12 Bengal cats; several young ones have chronic large-bowel diarrhoea with good general condition, and PCR confirms Tritrichomonas foetus. She asks about the outlook and how to reduce transmission.

Which statement is correct?

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A. The diarrhoea usually resolves spontaneously within months (up to about 2 years), although many cats remain carriers; reducing density, separating litter trays and hygiene all help

Correct. Most cats improve over time, although they may keep shedding the parasite and relapse with stress. As transmission is direct faecal–oral, group measures (density, trays, hygiene) are key.

B. Trophozoites survive for months in a dry environment, so a specific disinfectant is needed

T. foetus does not form cysts: the trophozoites are fragile and do not survive drying. Transmission is direct, mainly via shared litter trays.

C. It is a common zoonosis, so the breeder should also be treated

It is not considered a relevant zoonosis; reported human infections are exceptional and occur in severely immunocompromised people.

D. All cats in the colony should be treated with metronidazole, the treatment of choice

Metronidazole is not effective against T. foetus and may give a misleading transient improvement. The only effective drug is ronidazole, reserved for cats with a confirmed diagnosis.

lightbulb Key takeaway

T. foetus mainly affects young purebred cats in multi-cat settings and is transmitted directly by the faecal–oral route. Beyond deciding whom to treat with ronidazole, act on the environment: at least one litter tray per cat, frequent cleaning, lower density and avoiding stress and group changes, which promote relapse.

Which statement is correct?

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