Abstract
The prevalence of fleas and gastrointestinal parasites in free-roaming and domestic cats in central Mexico was evaluated. Three hundred and fifty eight cats captured in the street or brought in by owners to the Animal Control Center Unit, a unit of State Government, from June 2010 to May 2011, were included in the study. All cats were examined for the presence of fleas and gastrointestinal worms. One-hundred and ninety (53%) cats were infested with at least one flea species. Single infestations were observed in 106 (30%) cats and mixed infestations in 84 (23%) cats. Four species of fleas were recovered: Ctenocephalides felis in 53% of the cats, C. canis in 18%, Echidnophaga gallinacea in 7% and Pulex irritans in 1%. One-hundred and sixty three (45%) cats were infected with one or more species of gastrointestinal parasites: 48 (13%) with nematodes, 145 (40%) with cestodes, and one animal presented Moniliformis moniliformis. Prevalences and mean intensity of infection were: Physaloptera praeputialis 7 and 18; T. cati 3 and 2; Ancylostoma tubaeforme 2.5 and 2; Toxascaris leonina 0.5 and 2; Dipylidium caninum 36 and 32; Taenia taeniformis 4 and 3 and Moniliformis moniliformis 0.3 and 106, respectively. There was significant association (P<0.01), between season and ectoparasites load, more fleas were obtained in the summer and autumn than in the winter and spring; however, no statistical difference was observed for endoparasites load (P>0.05). The correlation between the total number of ectoparasites and endoparasites was not significant (r = 0.089, P = 0.094).
Highlights
Companion animals, such as dogs and cats play an important role in society enhancing psychological and physiological welfare [1,2]
No difference between prevalence of stray and domestic cats were found with unique infections (P = 0.14); a difference was observed in the case of mixed infestations (P = 0.0056)
In Mexico, CruzVazquez [10] reported a prevalence of 30.3% of ectoparasites in a three years study in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico, where 92% of the cats were infested with C. felis and 8% with C. canis, in our study, the flea prevalence was considerably higher (53%)
Summary
Companion animals, such as dogs and cats play an important role in society enhancing psychological and physiological welfare [1,2]. Stray cats are potential reservoirs for helminthic parasites, which can be transmitted to domestic cats [4] and cats owners [5]. Free-roaming cats are either domestic cats that are not confined to an owner’s house or stray. They may be owned, but allowed to roam freely or they may be stray or recently owned, but lost or abandoned [6,7]. Free-roaming cats represent a reservoir of parasites potentially harmful to humans in developing countries, especially for children and the elderly, and detrimental to other companion animals [5]
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