Tritrichomonas foetus infection in cats with diarrhoea in a rescue colony in Italy

Faecal samples from 74 cats with chronic large bowel diarrhoea that were living in a rescue colony in Italy, were submitted for assessment of Tritrichomonas foetus by direct microscopy of faecal smears (n = 20) and T foetus-specific culture (n = 74), with confirmation by polymerase chain reaction (n = 1). Twenty-four of the cats (32%) were found to be infected with T foetus. The infected cats were predominantly over a year of age (67%) and were all neutered non-pedigree domestic cats.