Survey of helminth parasites of cats from the metropolitan area of Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil

Dirceu Guilherme De Souza Ramos,Afonso Lodovico Sinkoc,Richard De Campos Pacheco,Anderson Castro Soares De Oliveira,Renatha Gabrielly Alves Da Cruz Scheremeta

doi:10.1590/s1984-29612013000200040

Dirceu Guilherme De Souza Ramos, Afonso Lodovico Sinkoc + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/s1984-29612013000200040

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Abstract

Besides presenting zoonotic potential, helminths of cats are responsible for gastrointestinal, hepatic, and pulmonary diseases. In order to identify the helminthic fauna, prevalence, mean intensity of parasitism (MIP), and mean abundance population (MAP), 146 cats from the metropolitan area of Cuiabá, Midwestern Brazil, were necropsied. In 98 these animals, 12 species of helminths were identified, comprising (species, prevalence, MIP, and MAP, respectively): nematodes (Ancylostoma braziliense [50,68% - 53,64 - 27,18], Ancylostoma tubaeforme [10,27% - 3,6 - 0,37], Toxocara cati [4,11% - 28,33 - 1,16], Physaloptera praeputialis [2,05% - 6,67 - 0,14], Capillaria feliscati [3,42% - 7,4 - 0,25], and Aelurostrongylus abstrusus [1,37%]); cestodes (Spirometra mansonoides [4,11% - 2,0 - 0,08], Dipylidium caninum [3,42% - 5,2 - 0,18], and Taenia taeniformis [0,68% - 1,0 - 0,01]); trematodes (Platynosomum fastosum [26,03% - 179,53 - 46,73]); acanthocephalans (Centrorhynchus erraticus [3,42% - 3,2 - 0,11]). Ancylostoma spp., and P. fastosum were the most prevalent with the highest MIP and MAP. We observed the presence of species of helminths with zoonotic potential. This is the first time cats parasitized with Centrorhynchus erraticus are reported in the Americas. That genus is commonly observed in wild animals.

Highlights

Pets have socio-cultural importance and the pet-human interaction brings great benefits to human health, and presents risks of diseases transmission (McNICHOLAS et al, 2005)
Other organs such as the liver and lungs may be affected by helminths, and despite not presenting zoonotic potential, they may be a frequent cause of risks to the health of their hosts, especially Platynosomum fastosum, which causes hepatic diseases in cats (FERREIRA et al, 1999; XAVIER et al, 2007), and Aelurostrongylus abstrusus, in cardiopulmonary cases (TRAVERSA et al, 2010)
Despite the extensive parasitic fauna described in cats (BOWMAN et al, 2002), studies have shown, by examination of fecal samples or necropsies of cats, that parasitic fauna varies across geographical regions according to season, rural or urban areas, and other factors (CALVETE et al, 1998; LABARTHE et al, 2004; ABU‐MADI et al, 2008; GATES; NOLAN, 2009)

Summary

Introduction

Pets have socio-cultural importance and the pet-human interaction brings great benefits to human health, and presents risks of diseases transmission (McNICHOLAS et al, 2005). Parasites are among the most common causes of gastrointestinal disease in domestic cats (CALVETE et al, 1998), and some helminths present zoonotic potential: infection with migrating Toxocara spp. larvae has been associated with two main clinical syndromes in humans (ocular larva migrans and visceral larva migrans) (BOWMAN, 2010); and migration of Ancylostoma spp. larvae are responsible for a linear, tortuous, erythematous, and intensely pruritic eruption of the human skin called human cutaneous larva migrans (BOWMAN et al, 2010). Despite the extensive parasitic fauna described in cats (BOWMAN et al, 2002), studies have shown, by examination of fecal samples or necropsies of cats, that parasitic fauna varies across geographical regions according to season, rural or urban areas, and other factors (CALVETE et al, 1998; LABARTHE et al, 2004; ABU‐MADI et al, 2008; GATES; NOLAN, 2009).

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