Gastrointestinal parasites in stray and shelter cats in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Abstract

The increasingly urban nature of the population has led many people to choose independent pets, such as cats. This situation has also made it possible for these animals to be abandoned, thus increasing the numbers of cats on the streets and in shelters. These animals can act as a source of infection for other hosts. Between 2014 and 2015, the frequency of gastrointestinal parasites in captive and stray cats in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro was analyzed. Ninety-one fecal samples were collected from captive cats and 172 from stray cats. Centrifugal sedimentation and flotation techniques were used. The frequency of parasites among the stray cats was 77.3%, and this was significantly higher than the frequency observed in captive cats (49.5%). Helminths were detected more frequently, and hookworms were the parasites most detected. Toxocara cati, Cystoisospora sp. and Dipylidium caninum were also detected. No statistical difference in the frequency of parasites was observed between the sexes among the captive cats. However, among the stray cats, males (85.5%) presented higher positivity than females (71.8%). The high frequency of hookworms, which are the agent for "cutaneous larva migrans" in humans, shows the need to control parasitic infections among the cats studied.Keywords: Cats, feral cat, zoonosis, hookworms, epidemiology. ResumoO aumento da população urbana contribuiu para que muitas pessoas escolhessem um animal de estimação independente, como o gato. Esta situação possibilita o abandono desses animais, aumentando o número de gatos nas ruas e nos abrigos. Esses animais, então, podem servir como fonte de infecção para outros hospedeiros. Entre 2014 a 2015 foi analisada a frequência de parasitos gastrintestinais em gatos cativos e de rua na cidade do Rio de Janeiro. Foram coletadas 91 amostras fecais de gatos cativos e 172 de gatos de rua, sendo essas processadas pelas técnicas de centrífugo sedimentação e flutuação. A frequência de parasitos nos gatos de rua foi 77,3%, sendo esta significativamente maior do que a evidenciada nos cativos, 49,5%. Os helmintos foram mais detectados, sendo ancilostomídeos os parasitos mais evidenciados. Também foram detectados, Toxocara cati, Cystoisospora sp. e Dipylidium caninum. Não foi observada diferença estatística na frequência de parasitos entre o sexo nos gatos cativos, porém nos de rua, os machos (85,5%) apresentaram positividade maior do que as fêmeas (71,8%). A elevada frequência de ancilostomídeos, agente da "Larva Migrans Cutânea" no homem, demonstra a necessidade de controle das infecções parasitárias nos gatos estudados.Palavras-chave: Gatos, gato feral, zoonose, ancilostomídeos, epidemiologia.

Endoparasites of household and shelter cats in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

“…Likewise, many cat owners believe that indoor cats are not exposed to parasites and therefore do not take the appropriate preventive measures (Diakou et al, 2017). Pereira et al (2017) found the prevalence of endoparasite infection among shelter cats in the city of Rio de Janeiro to be 49.5%, comparable to the 50.64% found in the present study. Serra et al (2003) studied stray cats in the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro and reported a 63.4% prevalence of endoparasite infection.…”

“…Gennari et al (2016) analyzed stool samples from cats in the metropolitan region of São Paulo and found a 0.4% prevalence of dipylidiasis. Pereira et al (2017) found the prevalence of dipylidiasis to be 2.2% and 6.7% among stray and shelter cats, respectively, in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Monteiro et al (2016) identified dipylidiasis in 0.88% of stool samples collected from household cats in the northeastern region of the country.…”

“…are the most common parasites, causing infection in cats and potentially causing cutaneous larva migrans in humans (Bowman et al, 2010). In a study conducted by Pereira et al (2017), involving stray and shelter cats in the city of Rio de Janeiro, located in the southeastern region of Brazil, the proportions of cats infected with hookworms were 87.9% and 93.3%, respectively.…”

“…Toxocariasis is considered one of the most pathogenic helminth infections and one of the major neglected illnesses in the United States (Hotez, 2008). In a necropsy study conducted in the city of Cuiabá, in the central-west region of Brazil, Ramos et al (2013) found the prevalence of toxocariasis in cats to be 4.4%, whereas Pereira et al (2017) found it to be 2.2% in stool samples collected from shelter and stray cats in the city of Rio de Janeiro.…”

“…In Brazil, data related to cats in the state of Pernambuco showed a prevalence of 25.6% for infection with Cystoisospora sp (Monteiro et al, 2016). In the city of São Paulo, the reported prevalence of such infection ranges from 4.6% (Gennari et al, 2016) to 43.1% (Coelho et al, 2009), whereas, in the city of Rio de Janeiro, it ranges from 16.5% (Pereira et al, 2017) to 43.5% (Serra et al, 2003).…”