Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Parasite Angiostrongylus chabaudi found in lungs of domestic cat
By Varcasia, Antonio et al.·Published in Parasites & vectors·2014·Laboratorio di Parassitologia, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Angiostrongylus chabaudi Biocca, 1957: a new parasite for domestic cats?
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A domestic cat was found dead on the road in Sardinia, Italy, and during the examination, a new type of parasite called Angiostrongylus chabaudi was discovered in its lungs and pulmonary arteries. This is significant because this parasite had only been reported in wildcats before, and this is the first time it has been identified in a domestic cat. The findings suggest that this parasite could potentially infect domestic cats, which means veterinarians should consider it when diagnosing respiratory issues in cats.
People also search for: cat lung infection · Angiostrongylus chabaudi in cats · cat respiratory problems · what parasites affect cats
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Natural infection with a species of Angiostrongylus has been reported only once in wildcats from central Italy by Biocca in 1957. The causative species of this infection was identified as Angiostrongylus chabaudi. Following this report, this parasite had never been found in either wild or domestic cats. FINDINGS: The lungs and the pulmonary arteries of an adult female cat (Felis silvestris catus), road-killed in Sardinia, Italy, were macroscopically examined and dissected under a light microscope for the presence of parasites. A slender nematode was detected and its morphometrical features were consistent with those of A. chabaudi. Morphological data were supplemented by sequencing of the partial cytochrome oxidase c subunit 1 (cox1) gene, as well as the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) of the rDNA. Nucleotide sequences displayed 99% homology with the ITS2 sequence [GenBank KM216825.1] of a specimen of Angiostrongylus sp. recovered recently from the pulmonary artery of a wildcat in Germany and 91% with cox1 sequence [GenBank GU138118.1] of Angiostrongylus vasorum. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study indicate, for the first time, that A. chabaudi may also infect domestic cats, and thus should be considered in the diagnosis of metastrongyloid species infecting their cardio-pulmonary system.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25515026/