Molecular Detection of Gurltia paralysans by Semi-Nested PCR in Cerebrospinal Fluid and Serum Samples from Domestic Cats (Felis catus)

摘要

Feline gurltiosis is a parasitic myelopathy caused by . This nematode infects domestic cats without distinction of sex, breed or age, invading the venous system of the spinal leptomeninges and causing vascular congestion that mainly produces paralysis of the pelvic limbs, among other clinical signs of chronic myelopathy. To date, the definitive diagnosis of feline gurltiosis is only possible through post-mortem analysis that shows the location of the parasite in the vasculature of the spinal cord. For this reason, this investigation aimed to detect DNA, via semi-nested PCR, in samples of cerebrospinal fluid and serum from 12 domestic cats from potentially endemic areas in southern Chile, with compatible signs of feline gurltiosis. The presence of -specific DNA was detected in the cerebrospinal fluid of four out of nine cats and the sera of seven out of seven cats. These results allow us to suggest the implementation of a semi-nested PCR technique as a routine diagnostic test for early and timely detection of feline gurltiosis.