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Respiratory nematodes in cat populations of Italy

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Abstract

The occurrence of common respiratory parasites of domestic cats (the metastrongyloid “cat lungworm” Aelurostrongylus abstrusus and the trichuroid Capillaria aerophila) and of neglected respiratory nematodes of felids (Troglostrongylus brevior, Angiostrongylus chabaudi and Oslerus rostratus) was here evaluated in two and three geographical sites of Northern and Central Italy, respectively. In 2014–2015, individual fecal samples of 868 domestic cats were examined microscopically and genetically, and epidemiological data related to parasitic infections were evaluated as possible risk factors by binary logistic regression models. The most common parasite was A. abstrusus in both mono- and poli-specific infections, followed by T. brevior and C. aerophila, while cats scored negative for other parasites. Cats positive for A. abstrusus (1.9–17 % infection rate) and C. aerophila (0.9–4.8 % infection rate) were found in all examined sites, while cats scored positive for T. brevior (1–14.3 % infection rate) in four sites. Also, T. brevior was here found for the first time in a domestic cat from a mountainous area of Northern Italy. The occurrence of lungworms was statistically related to the presence of respiratory signs and more significant in cats with mixed infection by other lungworms and/or intestinal parasites. Cats living in site C of Central Italy resulted statistically more at risk of infection for lungworms than cats living in the other study sites, while animals ageing less than 1 year were at more risk for troglostrongylosis. Finally, the presence of lungworms was more significant in cats with mixed infection by other lungworms and/or intestinal parasites. These results are discussed under epidemiological and clinical points of views.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Emanuela Di Giulio, Carmelo Flavio Dimitri, Ilaria Russi, Simone Teodori, Federica Sauda, Raffaella Iorio, Barbara Paoletti and Roberto Bartolini for their participation in this study.

Conflict of interests

This study has not been financed not influenced by any third party. ADC holds a post-doc fellowship on parasites different than feline lungworms and she has participated in the present study in the framework of her freedom of scientific research. The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy

    Angela Di Cesare, Eleonora Grillotti, Luciano A. Barros & Donato Traversa

  2. Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy

    Fabrizia Veronesi

  3. Ambulatorio Veterinario Centro Italia, Rieti, Italy

    Eleonora Grillotti

  4. Novara Day Lab - IDEXX Laboratories, Monticello, Italy

    Simone Manzocchi

  5. Department of Veterinary Science, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

    Stefania Perrucci

  6. Division of Veterinary Pathology (DIAL), University of Udine, Udine, Italy

    Paola Beraldo

  7. Istituto Zooprofilattico delle Venezie, Legnaro, Padova, Italy

    Stefania Cazzin

  8. Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Latium e della Toscana “M. Aleandri”, Rome, Italy

    Claudio De Liberato

  9. Facultade de Medicina Veterinaria MSV/UFF Niteroi, Niteroi, RJ, Brazil

    Luciano A. Barros

  10. Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy

    Giulia Simonato

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  1. Angela Di Cesare
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  2. Fabrizia Veronesi
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  3. Eleonora Grillotti
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  10. Giulia Simonato
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  11. Donato Traversa
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Correspondence to Donato Traversa.

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Di Cesare, A., Veronesi, F., Grillotti, E. et al. Respiratory nematodes in cat populations of Italy. Parasitol Res 114, 4463–4469 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-015-4687-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-015-4687-5

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