First Case of Clinical Cat Aelurostrongylosis in the Brazilian Amazon: Clinical and Molecular Insights

Abstract

Aelurostrongylus abstrusus is the most important respiratory parasite infecting domestic cats worldwide. Nevertheless, most records and epizootiological data come from Europe, whilst poor and fragmentary information are available for other regions, including the Americas. The present article describes the first description of cat aelurostrongylosis from Amazonia, Brazil. Eighty-one cats, 13 from a shelter and 68 admitted at the Teaching and Research Unit in Veterinary Medicine (UV) at the Federal University of Acre (UFAC), Brazil, were included in the study. For all cats, three faecal samples from consecutive defecations were examined using the Baermann’s technique. Nematode first stage larvae (L1), retrieved in 2/81 (2.5%) samples, were microscopically identified as A. abstrusus and then subjected to a molecular assay able to identify the three most important species of metastrongyloids infecting felids. This test confirmed the A. abstrusus identity in one sample, while the second scored negative. The cat with confirmed aelurostrongylosis showed radiographic changes, i.e., an interstitial pattern, compatible with the infection. The other cat, which scored positive at the Baermann’s examination, was apparently healthy at the physical examination and showed no thoracic alterations. The occurrence of A. abstrusus in domestic cats from Brazilian Amazon is herein demonstrated for the first time. Clinical, epizootiological and molecular implications are discussed.

Felid Parasitoses, New Insights and Open Perspectives

“…Brazil is also a country with poor epizootiological data regarding A. abstrusus in cats. The results reported by da Silva Lima et al [3] represent the first depiction of prevalence for this important pathogen in cats living in the Brazilian Amazon. Furthermore, this survey reports the first molecular confirmation of this parasite in Brazil and describes the clinical picture of one of the cases detected among the animals examined [3].…”

Efficacy of two endectoparasiticide products combining fipronil and (S)-methoprene or esafoxolaner with eprinomectin and praziquantel against fleas and intestinal helminths in cats naturally infested in Brazil

“…There was a gap in the epizootiological investigation of this study, as the incidences of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus and Troglostrongylus brevior, major lungworms of cats were not investigated. The specific diagnostic technique for A. abstrusus and T. brevior (Baermann funnel migration) was not performed due to study logistics; nevertheless, the worldwide importance [20,29,30] including in Brazil [5,22] of these feline lungworms should not be overlooked by the epizootiological observations of the present study.…”

A Molecular Survey on Neglected Gurltia paralysans and Aelurostrongylus abstrusus Infections in Domestic Cats (Felis catus) from Southern Chile

“…However, it allows diagnosis only during the patency period, and the sensitivity is impaired by intermittent and/or low excretion of larvae. Molecular detection by PCR from feces or pharyngeal swabs can be used as alternative diagnostic tools for feline aelurostrongylosis [24][25][26]. An ELISA test for detection of A. abstrusus antibodies in serum has been used to improve the diagnosis of feline aelurostrongylosis [24,27].…”