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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Lungworm infection in a cat with feline immunodeficiency virus

By Sarah Elhamiani Khatat et al.·Published in JFMS open reports·2016·View original on Semantic Scholar

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Original publication title: Lungworm Eucoleus aerophilus (Capillaria aerophila) infection in a feline immunodeficiency virus-positive cat in France

Species:
cat

Plain-English summary

A 2-year-old female domestic shorthair cat in France was diagnosed with a lungworm infection caused by Eucoleus aerophilus after showing signs of chronic upper respiratory issues. The vet performed a bronchoscopy and found evidence of bronchitis, along with lungworm eggs in a fluid sample from the lungs. This cat was also positive for feline immunodeficiency virus, which likely made her more susceptible to the infection. Treatment details weren't specified, but recognizing the lungworm infection was crucial for her care.

People also search for: cat coughing treatment · lungworm infection in cats · feline immunodeficiency virus symptoms · cat respiratory disease causes

Abstract

Case summary A 2-year-old domestic shorthair female outdoor cat living in France was diagnosed with a lungworm infection due to Eucoleus aerophilus. The history and clinical signs, in association with bronchoscopic examination, suggested chronic upper respiratory disease. Cytological examination of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was consistent with suppurative bronchitis. Direct microscopic examination of BALF enabled the identification of E aerophilus ova. Relevance and novel information The cat was positive for feline immunodeficiency virus and had been treated with steroids for a suspected allergic bronchitis, suggesting that immunodeficiency was probably a facilitating factor for E aerophilus infection, as described in previous cases. This case report emphasises the importance of considering eucoleosis (capillariosis) in the differential diagnosis of respiratory disease in cats. To our knowledge, this is the first clinical case of E aerophilus infection described in a domestic cat in France.

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Original publication on Semantic Scholar: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/28491425