EXOone Cytauxzoon felis

Description

Cytauxzoon felis is an intracellular protozoan parasite transmitted by ticks that infects felids, primarily affecting domestic and wild cats.
Infection causes cytauxzoonosis, a severe disease characterized by fever, lethargy, anemia and multi-organ involvement, often leading to high mortality in susceptible animals. The clinical impact can be significant, particularly in regions where competent vectors are present.
Conventional detection methods such as blood smear examination may lack sensitivity, especially in early stages of infection. Real-time PCR enables rapid, sensitive and specific detection of C. felis DNA directly from clinical samples, supporting analytical detection and monitoring.