Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Aelurostrongylus abstrusus in a stray cat’s blood stream

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Comparative Clinical Pathology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Aelurostrongylus abstrusus (Raillet), the cat lungworm, is a parasitic round worm which lives in the terminal bronchioles and the alveolar ducts inside the lungs of cats as final hosts. Snails or slugs can be intermediate hosts while rodents, frogs, toads, lizards, birds, and snakes can play the role of transporter from the intermediate host into the final host. The ingested third-stage larvae migrate towards the lungs through the blood vessels. In this research, first, the observation of A. abstrusus infection in a stray cat in Iran is described. Later, the larval detection of this worm in infected cat’s blood throughout the world will be discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anderson RC (2000) Nematode parasites of vertebrates their development and transmission, 2nd edn. CABI publishing, Wallingford, pp 163–164

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Ash LR (1970) Diagnostic morphology of the third-stage larvae of Angiostrongylus cantonensis, Angiostrongylus vasorum, Aelurostrongylus abstrusus and Anafilaroides rostratus (Nematoda: Metastrongyloidea). J Parasitol 56(2):249–253

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Barutzki D, Schaper R (2013) Occurrence and regional distribution of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus in cats in Germany. Parasitol Res 112:855–861. doi:10.1007/s00436-012-3207-0

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ellis AE, Brown CA, Yabsley MJ (2010) Aelurostrongylus abstrusus larvae in the colon of two cats. J Vet Diagn Investig 22:652–655

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hobmaier M, Hobmaier A (1935) Mammalian phase of the lungworm Aelurostrongylus abstrusus in the cat. J Am Vet Med Assoc 87:191–198

    Google Scholar 

  • Losonsky JM, Thrall DE, Prestwood AK (1983) Radiographic evaluation of pulmonary abnormalities after Aelurostrongylus abstrusus inoculation in cats. Am J Vet Res 44(3):478–482

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mackerras MJ (1957) Observations on the life history of the cat lungworm, Aelurostrongylus abstrusus (Railliet, 1898) (Nematoda: Metastrongylidae). Aust J Zool 5:188–195

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Payo-Puente P, Diez A, Gonzalo-Orden JM, Marcia KikuyoNotomi MK, Rodriguez-Altonaga JA, Francisco A, Rojo-Vazquez FA, Orden MA (2005) Computed tomography in cats infected by Aelurostrongylus abstrusus: 2 Clinic Cases. Int J Appl Res Vet Med 3(4):339–343

    Google Scholar 

  • Payo-Puente P, Botelho-Dinis M, CarvajaUruena AM, Payo-Puente M, Gonzalo-Orden JM, Rojo-Vazquez FA (2007) Prevalence study of the lungworm Aelurostrongylus abstrususin stray cats of Portugal. J Feline Med Surg 10:242–246. doi:10.1016/j.jfms.2007.12.002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stockdale PHG (1970) The pathogenesis of the lesions elicited by Aelurostrongylus abstrusus durings its Prepatent Period. Vet Pathol 7(2):102–115. doi:10.1177/030098587000700202

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Traversa D, Guglielmini C (2008) Feline aelurostrongylosis and canine angiostrongylosis a challenging diagnosis for two emerging verminous pneumonia infections. Vet Parasitol 157:163–174

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Traversa D, Di Cesare A, Milillo P, Iorio R, Otranto D (2008a) Aelurostrongylus abstrususin a feline colony from central Italy: Clinical features, diagnostic procedures and molecular characterization. Parasitol Res 103:1191–1196

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Traversa D, Lia RP, Iorio R, Boari A, Paradies P, Capelli G, Avolio S, Otranto D (2008b) Diagnosis and risk factors of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus (Nematoda, Strongylida) infection in cats from Italy. Vet Parasitol 153:182–186

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Traversa D, Di Cesare A, Conboy G (2010) Canine and feline cardiopulmonary parasitic nematodes in Europe: Emerging and underestimated. Parasites Vectors 3:62. doi:10.1186/1756-3305-3-62

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tuzer E, Toparlak M, Gargili A, Kelefi V, Esatgil MU (2002) A Case of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus Infection in a Cat in Istanbul, Turkey and its Treatment with Moxidectin and Levamisole. Turk J Vet Anim Sci 26:411–414

    Google Scholar 

  • Willard MD, Roberts RE, Allison N, Grieve RB, Escher K (1988) Diagnosis of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus and Dirofilaria immitis infections in cats from a human shelter. J Am Vet Med Assoc 192:913–916

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

No competing financial interests exist.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pathobiology Department, Shahmirzad School of Veterinary Medicine, Semnan University, ValiAsr area, Shahmirzad, PO box: 35718-95589, Semnan, Iran

    Maryam Rassouli

  2. Undergraduate Student of Shahmirzad School of Veterinary Medicine, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran

    Jalal Ghaderi, Arman Goudarzi & Saeid Sabouri

Authors
  1. Maryam Rassouli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jalal Ghaderi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Arman Goudarzi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Saeid Sabouri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maryam Rassouli.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Rassouli, M., Ghaderi, J., Goudarzi, A. et al. Aelurostrongylus abstrusus in a stray cat’s blood stream. Comp Clin Pathol 24, 773–775 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-014-1979-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-014-1979-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation