Endoparasites of cats from the Tirana area and the first report on Aelurostrongylus abstrusus (Railliet, 1898) in Albania

Abstract

Following the recovery of first-stage nematode larvae indicative of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus infection in the faeces of free-roaming cats from the greater Tirana area, examination of 18 cats at necropsy revealed nine of them harbouring adult A. abstrusus (Railliet, 1898) in the lungs (prevalence, 50%; range, 1-11). In addition to A. abstrusus, Eucoleus aerophilus (16.7%; 1-9) was isolated from the lungs, and Toxocara cati (83.3%; 2-33), Ancylostoma tubaeforme (44.4%; 1-20), Dipylidium caninum (83.3%; 1-164), Joyeuxiella pasqualei (11.1%; 1-3) and one specimen of an acanthocephalan (5.5%) were recovered from the gastrointestinal tract. Furthermore, oocysts of Cystoisospora felis and C. rivolta were found in the rectal faeces of 5.6% and 11.1% of the cats, respectively. In conclusion, the prevalence of endoparasite infection in free-roaming cats in Tirana can be considered to be high. The occurrence of A. abstrusus, which may cause respiratory distress in cats, is reported for the first time in Albania.

Endoparasites of wildcats in Croatia

“…to the authors' knowledge these species have not been previously reported in wildcat studies, but both of these parasites are a common finding in domestic cats, reaching up to 83.3% for D. caninum and 0.8-1% for Sarcocystis sp. in some surveys (KNAUS et al, 2011;LUCIO-FORSTER and BOWMAN, 2011;MIRCEAN et al, 2010 (eCkert et al, 2005). It could be assumed that this short patent period is the reason why the parasite has never been identified in previous studies, because the sample has to be collected exactly during this short period when the parasite is present in the intestines.…”

Efficacy of Broadline® against Capillaria aerophila lungworm infection in cats

“…Cats were purchased from private owners in a C. aerophila endemic area (Knaus et al 2011) and owned by the contract research organization. The cats were examined by a veterinarian during the 7-day acclimation period and considered healthy apart from naturally acquired parasitism.…”

Bronchoalveolar lavage as a tool for evaluation of cellular alteration during Aelurostrongylus abstrusus infection in cats

“…Parasitic nematode infection of the respiratory tract in dogs and cats has received increasing attention in recent years, with the proposal of examination measures for the diagnosis of lungworm infection (Knaus et al 2011). The nematode Aelurostrongylus abstrusus (Soulsby 1987, Pennisi et al , André Klein 6 and Walter S. Lima 1994) of the family Protostrongylidae has worldwide distribution, and parasitizes the lung parenchyma, pulmonary artery and its branches in both domestic and wild cats.…”

“…While aelurostrongylosis is subclinical in most infected cats (Traversa et al 2008a,b), mild to severe coughing, sneezing, mucopurulent nasal discharge, dyspnea and hydrothorax may be observed (Ribeiro & Lima 2001, Traversa et al 2008a. Infection may lead to pneumonia, pleural effusion, pyothorax and even death in the absence of therapeutic intervention (Gathumbi et al 1991, Traversa & Guglielmini 2008, Traversa et al 2008a, Knaus et al 2011.…”