Abstract
Thirty feral cats ( Felis catus) from Alachua county (northern Florida) and 30 from Palm Beach county (southern Florida) were examined for hookworms. Two species, Ancylostoma tubaeforme and Ancylostoma braziliense, were identified. Forty-five cats (75%) were infected with A. tubaeforme, with a mean intensity of 48 hookworms per cat. Twenty cats (33%) were infected with A. braziliense, with a mean intensity of 28 worms per cat. The prevalence of A. tubaeforme was greater than that of A. braziliense in Alachua ( P=0.002) and Palm Beach ( P=0.004) counties. The intensity of A. tubaeforme infections was higher in Palm Beach county than Alachua county ( P=0.013). The intensities of A. tubaeforme and A. braziliense were positively correlated (increased together) in Palm Beach county ( P=0.011). These hookworms have also been identified in bobcats ( Felis rufus), gray foxes ( Urocyon cinereoargenteus), and red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes) in Florida. The prevalence of A. tubaeforme was significantly greater in feral cats than those reported in bobcats ( P<0.001). The prevalence of A. braziliense was significantly greater in feral cats than in those reported in gray foxes ( P=0.008). The hookworm that infects Florida panthers and bobcats, A. pluridentatum, was not found.
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