Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Parasite infections common in cats in Northeast Brazil
By Silva, Welitânia Inácia et al.·Published in Revista brasileira de parasitologia veterinaria = Brazilian journal of veterinary parasitology : Orgao Oficial do Colegio Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinaria·2023·Programa de Pó·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Endoparasites in domestic cats (Felis catus) in the semi-arid region of Northeast Brazil.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study found that a high number of domestic cats in Northeast Brazil had intestinal parasites, with 81.6% testing positive for at least one type. The most common parasites were Ancylostoma (hookworms), found in 67.1% of the cats, and Taenia (tapeworms), present in 28.5%. Cats that had never been dewormed or had dry fur were more likely to be infected. Regular deworming is important to keep your cat healthy and free from these parasites.
People also search for: cat intestinal parasites treatment · why does my cat have dry fur · how often should I deworm my cat
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of endoparasites in domestic cats (Felis catus) in the city of Sousa, state of Paraíba, Northeast Brazil. A total of 207 samples of fresh feces were randomly collected from domestic and semi-domiciled cats. The samples were analyzed by simple centrifugation and centrifuge-flotation in sucrose solution for the diagnosis of helminth eggs and enteric protozoan oocysts and cysts. Epidemiological information was obtained to determine risk factors related to infections. Among the samples collected, 81.6% (169/207; 95% CI: 77.4-83.8) were positive for at least one parasite genus. Ancylostoma spp. was the most prevalent, at 67.1% (139/207), followed by Taenia spp. at 28.5% (59/207), and Spirometra spp. and Platynosomum sp., both at 17.3% (36/207). The variables associated with helminth infection were a historic lack of deworming (Odds ratio = 12.25) and the presence of dry fur (Odds ratio = 2.15). No risk factors were observed for enteric protozoa infection. This study demonstrated a high prevalence of endoparasites in domestic cats in the city of Sousa, state of Paraíba, and associated risk factors, thus establishing an overview of the main helminths and protozoa that affect cats in this region.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38018630/