Lungworms and gastrointestinal parasites of domestic cats: a European perspective

Abstract

With the exception of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus, feline lungworms have been poorly studied. Information on their distribution is patchy and mostly limited to case reports. In this study, the occurrence of feline lungworms and co-infecting gastrointestinal parasites has been investigated in 12 European countries (i.e. Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom). An average of 10 domestic cats, with regular outdoor access, was sampled each month for 12months, and freshly passed faeces were collected. Stools were processed using a McMaster assay and a quantitative Baermann-Wetzel method. Animals positive for lungworms and/or gastrointestinal parasites were treated with a formulation containing fipronil, (S)-methoprene, eprinomectin, and praziquantel (Broadline®, Merial), and re-sampled 28days post-treatment. The association between lungworm infection and risk factors was analysed using statistical medians/means and the efficacy of the treatment against each lungworm species was assessed. Of 1990 cats sampled, 613 (30.8%) were positive for at least one parasite, while 210 (10.6%) were infected by lungworms. The prevalence of lungworm infection varied between the sampled sites, with the highest recorded in Bulgaria (35.8%) and the lowest in Switzerland (0.8%). None of the cats from Austria or the United Kingdom were infected by lungworms. Aelurostrongylus abstrusus was the species most frequently detected (78.1%), followed by Troglostrongylus brevior (19.5%), Eucoleus aerophilus (14.8%) and Oslerus rostratus (3.8%). The overall efficacy of the treatment was 99% for A. abstrusus and 100% for T. brevior, O. rostratus and E. aerophilus. Data presented provide a comprehensive account of the diagnosis, epidemiology and treatment of feline lungworms in Europe, as well as of the occurrence of co-infections by gastrointestinal parasites.

First case of a natural infection in a domestic cat (Felis catus) with the canid heart worm Angiostrongylus vasorum

“…Despite its actual widespread occurrence in dogs, an infection with A. vasorum was initially not suspected in the case presented here, given that, to our knowledge, no previous natural infections of cats with this parasite have been described. In cats, A. abstrusus is the most frequent lungworm worldwide including Switzerland (Giannelli et al, 2017;Zottler et al, 2019). However, adult stages of A. abstrusus usually reside in the lung parenchyma of cats and are normally not observed in arterial vessels.…”

“…Cardiopulmonary nematodes in cats include different parasite species affecting feline lungs and the heart, with the metastrongyloid Aelurostrongylus abstrusus being the most frequent feline lungworm worldwide (Giannelli et al, 2017;Scott, 1973). Adult stages (length 5-11 mm, width 0.054-0.08 mm (Gerichter, 1949)) of this parasite are embedded in the lung parenchyma and produce eggs and larval stages causing verminous pneumonia (Hamilton, 1967;Hobmaier and Hobmaier, 1935;Schnyder et al, 2014a).…”

“…In contrast, Capillaria aerophila (syn. Eucoleus aerophilus) is more common than Oslerus rostratus and is frequently observed in trachea, bronchi and bronchioli of foxes (Magi et al, 2015;Saeed et al, 2006), dogs and cats (Giannelli et al, 2017;Traversa et al, 2010). Capillaria sp.…”

Intestinal parasitosis, undernutrition and socio-environmental factors in schoolchildren from Clorinda Formosa, Argentina

“…Spirometra is a genus of pseudophyllid cestodes that infects canines and felines, but causes sparganosis in humans by either drinking water contaminated with infected copepods (intermediate host) or by consuming raw meat of infected second intermediate hosts or paratenic hosts (including fish, reptiles and amphibians) (34). Aelurostrongylus abstrusus is a strongylid nematode that affects the respiratory system of domestic cats and other wild felids, which acquire the infection by ingesting infective larvae encysted with paratenic hosts (usually snails or birds) (35). In this context, Spirometra sp.…”

Filaroidosis infection in an immunocompetent adult dog from France

“…Reports of nematodes parasitizing the respiratory tract of carnivores are increasingly common in Europe (Traversa et al, 2010;Giannelli et al, 2017) and these parasites can cause severe and occasionally fatal impairment (Traversa et al, 2010). Of the nematode species affecting dogs, Angiostrongylus vasorum is the most common Helm et al, 2010), whereas Crenosoma vulpis, Oslerus osleri and Filaroides hirthi show more limited geographic distribution (Traversa et al, 2010;Latrofa et al, 2015).…”