Recent investigation on the prevalence of gastrointestinal nematodes in cats from France and Germany

Abstract

Since 1995 multiple clinical studies on efficacy of different compounds were performed in France and Germany according to the GCP guidelines. Approximately 3000 cat faecal samples of 44 participating practices were examined. Cats tested positive for nematodes were included into the study. Additionally, the faecal samples sent to the routine diagnostic lab of the Institute of Parasitology were analysed and compared with the study samples. Although both sets of data did not derive from epidemiological studies with representative sample calculation, they represent extensive data with following result: 12% of the samples examined contained endoparasites of different stages. 92% of these positive samples were Toxocara cati, 2.8% - 3.9% stages of either hookworms, Toxascaris leonina, Dipylidium spp. or taeniids. Due to the methods used in these multicenter field studies a detection of protozoa was not applicable. In an additional approach a questionnaire was completed for all positive cases from one of the multicenter studies with information to origin, environment, conditions of animal housing and anthelmintic treatment of the endoparasite positive cats. Approximately 60% of the positive cats live in urban, 40% in rural environment, 20% on agricultural farms. About 20% of the positive cats were housed indoors without any access to outdoor environments. Furthermore the study showed that a frequency of anthelmintic treatment 3-4 times per year reduced the prevalence significantly,.80% of the cats were dewormed less than 3 times per year, only 2% of the more frequent dewormed cats (3-4 times per year of more often) belong to the study included population.