Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Eucoleus aerophilus lungworm infection causing cough in dogs and cats
By Traversa, Donato et al.·Published in Research in veterinary science·2009·Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Infection by Eucoleus aerophilus in dogs and cats: is another extra-intestinal parasitic nematode of pets emerging in Italy?
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs and cats in Italy showed signs of respiratory problems, including coughing, wheezing, and sneezing, due to an infection from a lungworm called Eucoleus aerophilus. Out of 569 dogs and 200 cats tested, 16 dogs and 11 cats were found to have the parasite. Most of the infected pets exhibited respiratory distress, highlighting the importance of this infection in veterinary care. It's recommended that veterinarians consider this parasite when diagnosing respiratory issues in pets, as it can affect their health significantly.
People also search for: dog coughing treatment · cat sneezing causes · lungworm infection in pets · respiratory problems in dogs · Eucoleus aerophilus symptoms
Abstract
The occurrence of the infection by the lungworm Eucoleus aerophilus (syn. Capillaria aerophila) in dogs and cats from Italy has been evaluated with conventional diagnostic procedures. Individual faecal samples from 569 dogs and 200 cats were undertaken to faecal flotation with sugar and zinc sulphate solution. Sixteen dogs (2.8%) and 11 cats (5.5%) scored positive for eggs of E. aerophilus when samples were processed with either of the two flotation solutions. Overall 14 of 16 dogs and eight of 11 cats infected by E. aerophilus showed respiratory symptoms and the most common were general respiratory distress, dry cough, wheezing and sneezing. These results indicate that E. aerophilus is not uncommon and that canine and feline capillariosis is of clinical importance. Given the impact that E. aerophilus infections may have upon animal health and its zoonotic potential, it is strongly advisable to routinely include this disease in the differential diagnosis of (cardio)-respiratory diseases of dogs and cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19298989/