Prevalence of helminth and coccidian parasites in Swedish outdoor cats and the first report of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus in Sweden: a coprological investigation

Abstract

BackgroundThis study was performed in order to gather recent epidemiological data on feline endoparasites in Swedish cats. Faecal samples from 205 outdoor cats were collected by their owners and submitted to the National Veterinary Institute for analysis. The study population was comprised of cats with access to an outdoor environment and with no history of anthelmintic treatment within the last 3 months. Intestinal parasites were detected with a centrifugal flotation technique and Baermann larval sedimentation was performed to detect metastrongylid lungworms. Eggs, larvae and oocysts were identified morphologically by microscopic examination. The following information was collected from cat owners: breed, sex, age, anthelminthic medication last used, observation of cestode proglottids and residential address.ResultsEndoparasites were detected in 25% of samples. Eggs of Toxocara cati were found in 21% of samples, followed by taeniid eggs (4%), oocysts of Cystoisospora felis/C. rivolta and capillarid eggs (both 1%). One cat tested positive for Toxoplasma gondii-like oocysts. Larvae of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus were detected in one cat, which is the first published observation of this parasite in Sweden.ConclusionsThe occurrence of intestinal parasites is rather high in outdoor cats in Sweden, which could indicate the need for more intensive deworming routines in the population. Clinical practitioners should be aware of the possible occurence of A. abstrusus in Swedish cats when considering potential causes of respiratory problems in cats in the future.

Cardiorespiratory nematodes and co‐infections with gastrointestinal parasites in new arrivals at dog and cat shelters in north‐western Spain

“…(1.3%) than those found in this study. A. abstrusus infection has been reported in domestic cats throughout Europe; noticeable differences on the prevalence rates can be observed depending on the region (1.7-30.2%), being our results similar to those found in southern countries, where the percentages of infection are generally higher (Barutzki & Schaper, 2009;Diakou et al, 2015;Elsheikha et al, 2019;Genchi et al, 2021;Giannelli et al, 2017;Grandi et al, 2017;Gueldner et al, 2019;Gyö rke et al, 2020;Hansen et al, 2017;Kiszely et al, 2019;Knaus et al, 2014;Mircean, Titilincu & Vasile, 2010;Payo-Puente et al, 2008;Tonev et al, 2021). It is also worth noting that no positive cats to T. brevior were detected in this work although this nematode was previously found in a low number of cats from Spain, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Poland and Romania, reaching maximum values close to 15% in some regions (Brianti et al, 2021;Diakou et al, 2015;Genchi et al, 2021;Giannelli et al, 2017).…”

Molecular Survey of Metastrongyloid Lungworms in Domestic Cats (Felis silvestris catus) from Romania: A Retrospective Study (2008–2011)

“…In most Northern European countries A. abstrusus infection is sporadically reported. For instance, in Sweden, the first report of A. abstrusus in outdoor cats was recently published [33].…”

Efficacy of Bravecto® Plus spot-on solution for cats (280 mg/ml fluralaner and 14 mg/ml moxidectin) for the prevention of aelurostrongylosis in experimentally infected cats

“…The heteroxenous life-cycle relies on gastropods as intermediate hosts, and different prey species play a role in transmission as paratenic hosts [7,8]. Most reports on A. abstrusus prevalence in cats originate from Europe, ranging between 0.1 and 10.7% in northern and central Europe [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] and between 8.0 and 27.3% in eastern and southern Europe [5,[17][18][19][20], but studies were also conducted in Asia (e.g. Qatar 7.5% [21]), the Americas (e.g.…”