Zoonotic Lagochilascaris minor and nine other parasites in a cat.

Abstract

A case of polyparasitism in an 8-year-old female cat from Southern Brazil is reported. Among the described clinical signs, both gurltiosis and lagochilascariasis are of rare occurrence, being categorized as neglected diseases. The diagnosis of feline crural parasitic paraplegia was established through clinical signs, necropsy lesion observations, and the presence of Gurltia paralysans in histological sections of the spinal cord. Lagochilascaris minor was diagnosed with an ulcerated wound in the cervical region and further confirmed by coprology. In addition, other gastrointestinal parasites (i.e., Trichuris spp., Diphyllobothriidae, Toxocara cati, Ancylostoma spp., Cystoisospora spp., and Entamoeba spp.) were diagnosed through fecal examination and Sarcocystis felis by molecular analysis of muscle cysts. Aelurostrongylus abstrusus was detected in histological sections of lung parenchyma and confirmed by molecular analyses. The multiple parasitism detected in this case represents a unique report in terms of the number of parasites in the same individual, indicating the risk represented by stray cats as spreaders of zoonotic agents.