Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dracunculus insignis infection found in two cats in northeastern USA
By Lucio-Forster, Araceli et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2014·Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: First report of Dracunculus insignis in two naturally infected cats from the northeastern USA.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 9-year-old cat from New York was found to have a rare infection caused by a type of roundworm called Dracunculus insignis after showing signs of illness related to its pituitary gland. In another case, a 14-year-old diabetic cat from Massachusetts had a subcutaneous mass on its leg that was also linked to this parasite. Both cases are the first documented instances of this infection in cats in the USA. Treatment details were not specified, but identifying the infection is crucial for proper care.
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Abstract
Dracunculiasis is rarely reported in cats, yet over the last few years we have identified two cats with filarioid-like spirurid infections. Case 1 was a 9-year-old cat with pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism from New York tate from which four adult dracunculoid nematodes were isolated from its torso. Based on morphometric characteristics and parasite geographic distribution, the specimens were identified as Dracunculus insignis females; at least one of the females was gravid, suggestive of patent infection. Species identification was confirmed through amplification and sequence analysis of nuclear and mitochondrial loci. Case 2 was a 14-year-old diabetic cat from Massachusetts. Formalin-fixed sections were obtained from a subcutaneous mass excised from the left foreleg. Histopathological examination revealed a large nematode with morphometrical characteristics of Dracunculus, surrounded by lymphocytes and sheets of eosinophils. These two cases appear to be the first published reports of dracunculiasis in domestic cats in the USA, and based on the findings from case 1, D insignis may be the species associated with both infections.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24027052/