Study suggests ELISA may widen detection of Cytauxzoon exposure

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A new study in Veterinary Sciences suggests ELISA may identify far more healthy cats exposed to Cytauxzoon felis than qPCR alone in the south-central U.S. Researchers Ryan Carson, Sarah Myers, Catlyn Ballard, and Ruth Scimeca analyzed samples from pet and free-ranging cats in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri and found significantly more cats were ELISA-positive than qPCR-positive. In the study, 248 cats, or 35.37% of those tested, were ELISA-positive but qPCR-negative, which the authors said points to cats that had mounted a specific antibody response despite having no detectable circulating parasite DNA at the time of testing. The paper was published April 28, 2026, in Veterinary Sciences. (mdpi.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the findings reinforce that qPCR and blood-smear review may miss a meaningful share of asymptomatic cats with prior exposure or low-level infection. That matters in enzootic areas because C. felis can be rapidly fatal in clinically ill cats, yet some survivors become chronic carriers, and prior work has shown domestic cats can serve as competent reservoirs for transmission by ticks. Earlier research from Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma found a 6.2% PCR prevalence in healthy cats, with notably higher rates in some local hotspots, underscoring how much silent exposure may sit outside what PCR alone captures. (parasitesandvectors.biomedcentral.com)

What to watch: Watch for follow-up studies validating how ELISA results map to active infection risk, carrier status, and how clinics in endemic regions may combine serology with qPCR in screening and surveillance. (mdpi.com)