Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
First case of feline lungworm Oslerus rostratus found in Italy cat
By Brianti, Emanuele et al.·Published in Parasitology research·2014·Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Feline lungworm Oslerus rostratus (Strongylida: Filaridae) in Italy: first case report and histopathological findings.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 4-year-old cat in Sicily was found to have lungworms after a necropsy revealed slender, greyish parasites in its lungs. These lungworms, known as Oslerus rostratus, are transmitted by snails and can cause inflammation and damage to lung tissues. The cat had significant lung lesions, including fibrosis and changes in the bronchial lining. This case is the first report of this type of lungworm infection in Italy, highlighting the need for veterinarians to consider it when diagnosing lung issues in cats.
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Abstract
Oslerus rostratus syn. Anafilaroides rostratus (Strongylida: Filaroididae) is a metastrongyloid transmitted by snails, which localizes in peri-bronchial tissues and in the lung parenchyma of wild as well as domestic cats. In Europe, this nematode has been reported only on two occasions, being diagnosed in cats from Majorca Island and in northern Spain. Here, we describe a case of O. rostratus infection in a necropsied 4-year-old cat in Sicily (southern Italy). At the inspection of lungs, slender and greyish nematodes (four females and two males) were found embedded in the peri-bronchial tissues and in the bronchial walls. Parasites were morphological and molecularly identified as O. rostratus, with their 18S sequences being identical among them and showing a high homology (99%) with those available in public databases. At the histology, nematodes were encapsulated in a pseudo-cystic formation surrounded by an interstitial inflammatory process and fibrous tissue. Lung lesions were mainly represented by peri-luminal fibrosis, hyperplasia and hypertrophy of the bronchial mucosa and glands, respectively. This first record of O. rostratus infection from Italy indicates that this parasite should be included in the differential diagnosis of feline of lungworm infection.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25096533/