Tritrichomonas blagburni

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This page quotes a published document. Everything below in quotation marks is copied word for word from https://capcvet.org/guidelines/trichomoniasis/, published by CAPC and retrieved on 2026-09-16. The quotations are excerpts; the document itself is linked and is the authority. Nothing has been reworded.

This page quotes the Companion Animal Parasite Council guideline for Tritrichomonas blagburni, section by section: the opening sentences of 7 sections, copied without change and linked to the guideline, which was retrieved on 2026-09-16. The guideline itself is the authority and carries the full text.

The guideline

Companion Animal Parasite Council, Tritrichomonas blagburni, at https://capcvet.org/guidelines/trichomoniasis/. Retrieved 2026-09-16. Each heading below is the guideline’s own, and the quotation under it is how that section begins. The full section, and the species tabs where the guideline gives them, are on the linked page.

Species

Feline Tritrichomonas blagburni (most prevalent) Pentatrichomonas hominis Must be differentiated by careful morphological comparisons or PCR (most commonly done by the latter method) Canine Pentatrichomonas hominis (most prevalent) Tritrichomonas blagburni (rare) Must be differentiated by careful morphological comparisons or PCR (most commonly done by the latter method) Pentatrichomonas hominis may or may not be associated with clinical disease. The remainder of this guideline focuses on the pathogenic T. blagburni .

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Disease

Many cats are asymptomatic carriers and are free of any clinical signs even though they may test positive by PCR or other methods. Most infected cats, although beset with chronic loose stools, often remain active, playful, and do not lose weight.

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Prevalence

A survey of 117 cats from 89 catteries revealed the prevalence of T. blagburni at 31% among cats (36 out of 117) and catteries (28 out of 89) based on results of fecal smear examination, fecal culture, or PCR diagnosis.

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Diagnosis

Diagnosis of T. blagburni may be achieved via observation of organisms in a direct fecal smear, after culturing in media, or via PCR. Tritrichomonas blagburni is often microscopically misdiagnosed as Giardia spp., but the movement of the organism is quite different.

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Treatment

There is no approved treatment for feline or canine trichomoniasis , however, several drugs have demonstrated efficacy against feline T. blagburni in the research laboratory. Treatment failures are common and drug efficacy can be inconsistent.

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Control and Prevention

It is best to keep infected cats away from other cats, limiting contact as much as possible and not allowing them to share a litter box. Cleaning the litter box often to limit reinfection.

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Public Health Considerations

Tritrichomonas blagburni is not considered a zoonotic agent

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Sources

  • capc-trichomoniasisCAPC · retrieved 2026-09-16
    Many cats are asymptomatic carriers and are free of any clinical signs even though they may test positive by PCR or other methods. Most infected (Disease)

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