Toxoplasmosis in ferrets

Abstract

Extract

In 1986 I described an epidemic of congenital Toxoplasma-like disease in ferrets ⁽¹⁾ Thornton, RN and Cook, TG. 1986. A congenital Toxoplasma-like disease in ferrets (Musrela putorius furo). New Zealand Veterinary Journal, 34: 31–33. [Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]. The protozoan was subsequently confirmed immunohistochemically as Toxoplasma (Dubey, personal communication) but this was not reported. I wish to report this fact now in light of the recent discovery of the protozoan Neospora caninum, which is morphologically similar to Toxoplasma gonii, but which can be distinguished immunohistochemically ⁽²⁾ Dubey, JP. 1990. Neospora caninum: A look at a new Toxoplasma-like parasite of dogs and other animals. Compendium on Continuing Education for the Practicing Veterinarian, 12: 653–663.  [Google Scholar]. The life cycle of Neospora caninum is not yet known so it is of interest to establish the fact that the ferrets in our report were confirmed as having toxoplasmosis.     

Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis is a common infection of animals and man, yet remains a rare disease. The disease appears in the offspring of mothers first infected during pregnancy and by relapse of chronic infection in immunodeficient animals and man. Toxoplasmosis can be prevented by the simplest of hygienic measures, such as handwashing. Further control can be achieved by widespread education of the public about the dangers of toxoplasmosis and the methods of prevention. Education of veterinary and zoo workers would reduce transmission in an environment where it is most likely to occur because of high concentrations of cats and cat feces. Toxoplasmosis of sheep and pigs on farms may be amenable to vaccination with the ts-4 strain of Toxoplasma. Finally, the new T-263 toxoplasmosis vaccine for cats offers the possibility of drastically reducing environmental contamination with oocysts, especially on farms. The reduction in numbers of viable oocysts in the environment would eventually reduce the infection of bird and rodent intermediate hosts, and ultimately, the infection of humans.     

Toxoplasmosis

Infection with T. gondii can have devastating effects on the development of the unborn human fetus. As veterinarians or physicians, we should be able to accurately assess the true risk of exposure of a person to meat-borne tissue cysts or to oocysts based on the age, health, roaming and feeding habits of their cats, and the occupational or recreational activities of the individual. When time precludes an in-depth discussion of preventive measures to decrease exposure to the parasite, the whole client education program can be neatly summarized in the admonition, "When pregnant, wash your hands thoroughly before eating or touching your face, and cook your meat thoroughly." In this way, the risk of exposure to toxoplasmosis and all other meat- or soil-borne diseases is greatly reduced.     

Toxoplasmosis in piglets

Abstract

Extract

Ovine toxoplasmosis is of importance in New Zealand where it is recognized as the most common cause of intrauterine infection leading to abortion and stillbirths (Hartley and Boyes, 1964 Hartley, W. J. and Boyes, Betty W. 1964. Incidence of ovine perinatal mortality in New Zealand with particular reference to intrauterine infections. N.Z. vet. J., 12: 33–36. [Taylor &; Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]). Although clinical disease is rare in humans, serological evidence shows a high incidence of subclinical infection with 50% of New Zealand adults over 40 years of age showing positive titres (Manning and Reid, 1956 Manning, J. D. and Reid, J. D. 1956. Toxoplasmosis in New Zealand. A serological survey. N.Z. med. J., 55: 441–447. [PubMed] , [Google Scholar]). There is, however, a paucity of information on the disease incidence in other species in this country. Hartley (1956) Hartley, W. J. 1956. Some observations on canine toxoplasmosis. N.Z. vet. J., 4: 115–118. [Taylor &; Francis Online] , [Google Scholar] has recorded toxoplasmosis in dogs and fowls. Pneumonia in a pig associated with Toxoplasma gondii was described by Shortridge and Smith (1964) Shortridge, E. H. and Smith, B. 1964. Toxoplasmosis in a pig in New Zealand. N.Z. vet. J., 12: 118–120. [Taylor &; Francis Online] , [Google Scholar] while, more recently, Shortridge (1968) Shortridge, E. H. 1968. Toxoplasmosis in cats in New Zealand. N.Z. vet. J., 16: 129–130. [Taylor &; Francis Online] , [Google Scholar] noted two cases of feline toxoplasmosis. This present communication concerns an outbreak of acute toxoplasmosis in several piglets.     

Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that infects most species of warm-blooded animals, including human beings. Infection in cats is of particular interest because Felidae (domestic and wild) are the only known definitive hosts for T. gondii and thus are the main reservoirs of infection. Clinical and public health aspects of T. gondii infections in cats and dogs are discussed in this article.     

Therapeutics in ferrets.

The domestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo) continues to grow in popularity as a pet species in North America as well as many countries around the world. With this rapid growth comes an increased potential for small and exotic animal practitioners to expand their ferret clientele. This article reviews the commonly used therapeutics in ferrets, as well as the general principles and guidelines for their use.