Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Lungworm infections in domestic cats across Greece
By Diakou, Anastasia et al.·Published in Parasites & vectors·2015·School of Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Occurrence of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus and Troglostrongylus brevior in domestic cats in Greece.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of stray cats in Greece were tested for lungworms, specifically Aelurostrongylus abstrusus and Troglostrongylus brevior, which can cause respiratory issues. Out of 125 cats, 10 had A. abstrusus and 7 had T. brevior, with the latter found in areas where wildcats, the usual hosts, were absent. This suggests that T. brevior can infect domestic cats even without its natural reservoir nearby. It's important for cat owners to be aware of these parasites, especially since they can lead to respiratory problems in young cats.
People also search for: cat respiratory problems · lungworm in cats · cat coughing treatment · symptoms of lungworm in cats
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Despite the evidence that Mediterranean Europe offers suitable conditions for the biology of felid respiratory metastrongyloids, no updated data on the presence of felid lungworms are available for Greece. Although the cat lungworm Aelurostrongylus abstrusus is considered as enzootic in domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus) living in some areas of continental Greece, conversely, Troglostrongylus brevior, has only been reported in the island of Crete. The present study aimed to evaluate the occurrence of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus and Troglostrongylus brevior in domestic cats from four different Greek locations including islands where European wildcats (Felis silvestris silvestris), believed to be the natural reservoir of T. brevior, are considered absent. METHODS: Faeces were collected from 125 stray cats in the city of Athens, and in Crete, Mykonos and Skopelos Islands, and examined by copromicroscopic techniques for the presence of lungworm larvae. When present, larvae were morphologically and molecularly identified. RESULTS: The occurrence of A. abstrusus and T. brevior was confirmed in 10 (8 %) and 7 (5.6 %) of the samples, respectively. In particular, T. brevior was detected in domestic cats in the city of Athens, and in Mykonos and Skopelos Islands, where wildcats are not present. CONCLUSIONS: This information illustrates that T. brevior may infect domestic cats regardless of the presence of the natural host. Considering the relevant clinical impact of this nematode especially in young animals, it is advisable to include troglostrongylosis in the differential diagnosis of cat respiratory diseases also where this parasite is unexpected.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26577206/