Endoparasite prevalence and infection risk factors among cats in an animal shelter in Estonia

Tull, Ants; Moks, Epp; Saarma, Urmas

doi:10.14411/fp.2021.010

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…Quarantine of newly admitted individuals is important not only in an effort to minimize the transmission of bacterial and viral agents in the population, but also to rule out or eventually eliminate internal and external parasites. This is consistent with the findings of Tull et al ( 74 ), who reported a lower intensity of infection in quarantined cats (held 1–14 days in the shelter) in comparison to cats after quarantine that were kept individually or in group housing.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

“…Among endoparasites, the occurrence of helminths and coccidia was addressed using products containing fenbendazole, toltrazuril and emodepside in combination with toltrazuril. Tull et al ( 74 ) monitored the occurrence of endoparasites in a cat shelter in Estonia and found that 47.6% of cats were infected. In their study, cats were mostly infected by Toxocara cati (36.6%), one of the most common zoonotic intestinal parasites.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The morbidity and the spectrum of applied drugs in shelter cats in the Czech Republic

et al. 2022

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Maintaining appropriate living conditions and good health of the animals should be one of the main priorities of cat shelters. The aim of this study was to assess the morbidity of shelter cats on the basis of analysis of the shelter health records in terms of the nature and quantity of medicaments and other supportive products administered in two no-kill shelters in the Czech Republic. The subject of the study were the health records of 1,884 cats, which were admitted to the selected shelters from 1.1.2013 to 31.12.2021 and their stay in the shelter was terminated in the monitored period. More than half of all cats whose records were analyzed had at least one health record made during their stay in the shelter. The overall length of stay of cats in the shelter (regardless of the outcome) in which one or more health records were found was significantly longer compared to the length of stay of cats without any health records. The highest number of health records was found in kittens <6 months old. Antibiotics, antiparasitics, and complementary/protective substances were the most used among all administered drugs. Broad-spectrum antibiotics have been administered to cats most often. In terms of classification of antibiotics according to the active substance, the most used antibiotics were penicillins, tetracyclines, and fluoroquinolones. Antibiotics were mostly used to treat diseases related to the upper and lower respiratory tract and their symptoms and gastrointestinal problems. The findings of the study contribute to understanding health problems and approaches to treating the shelter cats.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The morbidity and the spectrum of applied drugs in shelter cats in the Czech Republic

et al. 2022

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“…In Poland, Borecka et al (2013) reported that pine martens were infected with zoonotic T. cati in the Tatra National Park. The single cat sample in this investigation was also infected with T. cati, whereas a recent study by Tull et al (2021) found that 45.6% of analysed rural cat samples (among shelter cats) were infected with this parasite.…”

Section: Helminths Of Other Mammal Speciescontrasting

confidence: 58%

“…The single cat sample in this investigation was also infected with T. cati , whereas a recent study by Tull et al . (2021) found that 45.6% of analysed rural cat samples (among shelter cats) were infected with this parasite.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High overlap of zoonotic helminths between wild mammalian predators and rural dogs – an emerging One Health concern?

et al. 2022

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The concept of One Health emphasizes the interdependence of human, animal and environmental health and is of growing significance, in part owing to the problems related to emerging infectious diseases of wildlife origin. Wild mammalian predators are a potential risk factor for transmission of zoonotic pathogens to domesticated animals and humans. This is especially relevant in rural areas, where transmission of zoonotic pathogens can occur particularly efficiently when free-ranging dogs are present. The main aim of this study was to determine helminth infections among wild mammalian predators and evaluate the overlap between helminth faunas of wild mammals and dogs. Scat samples of predators were collected in coastal areas of Western Estonia and genetic methodology applied for the correct identification of predator species from their scat. Parasitic helminths of mammalian predators in the scat samples were analysed and compared with dog data from a previous study. High helminth prevalence (~90%) was found in dominant predator species in the area, namely the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and golden jackal (Canis aureus). Moreover, the helminth fauna of both wild species, including potentially zoonotic helminths, overlapped largely with that of rural dogs in the same area. The results, together with the ones from earlier parasitological studies among humans in Estonia, emphasize the potential risk of pathogen transmission from wild mammalian predators to dogs and from dogs to humans, making parasitic diseases of wildlife a One Health concern.

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“…It is also important to diagnose which (gastrointestinal) parasite species infect dogs to determine strict and specific anthelmintic treatment against cestodes, nematodes, protozoa or trematodes. The same applies also for cats (Tull et al, 2021). Such strategic parasite target-treatment aids to minimize anthelmintic resistance because metaphylactic use of broad spectrum anthelmintic (e.g., benzimidazoles, pyrantel and macrocyclic lactones against hookworm A. caninum) combinations could result in anthelmintic resistance (Kopp et al, 2008;Jimenez Castro et al, 2019;von Samson-Himmelstjerna et al, 2021).…”

Section: Parasitementioning

confidence: 99%

Free-ranging rural dogs are highly infected with helminths, contaminating environment nine times more than urban dogs

et al. 2022

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Regardless of the highly efficient anthelmintics available and the control measures taken by dog owners and veterinarians, gastrointestinal parasites, especially zoonotic helminths, are still abundant in dogs and pose a health risk to humans. Free-ranging dogs in rural areas can be an important source of helminth infection. The aims of the present work were to collect scats of rural dogs, determine the environmental contamination caused by helminth infections among rural dogs of Western Estonia, analyse how diet affects helminth infection rate and compare the findings to a previous study focusing on dog helminths in urban areas of Estonia. To differentiate the scats of dogs from other sympatric canids, a genetic method was applied. Of 328 samples, genetic analysis identified 84 scats belonging to dogs, of which 87.0% were infected with helminths. A high proportion of rural dog scats harboured eggs of Taeniidae (65.5%), followed by Trichuris spp./Eucoleus spp. (15.5%), Uncinaria stenocephala (14.7%) and Toxocara canis (4.3%). Coinfections occurred in 34.5% of the samples, being the most common between Taeniidae and U. stenocephala (41.4%). The intensity model indicated higher helminth infection rate in rural dogs preying on rodents and game. In comparison to urban dogs, rural dogs were nine times more likely to be infected with intestinal parasites. These results emphasize the need to implement measures to reduce helminth infections in dogs living in rural areas of Western Estonia. Among a complex of measures to be taken, we suggest that it is also important to diagnose which gastrointestinal parasite species infect dogs to determine specific anthelmintic treatment against these parasites.

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Endoparasite prevalence and infection risk factors among cats in an animal shelter in Estonia

Cited by 6 publications

References 71 publications

The morbidity and the spectrum of applied drugs in shelter cats in the Czech Republic

The morbidity and the spectrum of applied drugs in shelter cats in the Czech Republic

High overlap of zoonotic helminths between wild mammalian predators and rural dogs – an emerging One Health concern?

Free-ranging rural dogs are highly infected with helminths, contaminating environment nine times more than urban dogs

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