1. Prevalence survey of gastrointestinal and respiratory parasites of shelter cats in northeastern Georgia, USA.
- Author
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Hoggard KR, Jarriel DM, Bevelock TJ, and Verocai GG
- Subjects
- Age Distribution, Ancylostoma classification, Ancylostoma isolation & purification, Animals, Cat Diseases parasitology, Cats, Cestoda classification, Cestoda isolation & purification, Feces parasitology, Female, Gastrointestinal Diseases epidemiology, Gastrointestinal Diseases parasitology, Georgia epidemiology, Isospora classification, Isospora isolation & purification, Likelihood Functions, Lung Diseases, Parasitic epidemiology, Lung Diseases, Parasitic parasitology, Lung Diseases, Parasitic veterinary, Male, Mesocestoides classification, Mesocestoides isolation & purification, Parasitic Diseases, Animal parasitology, Phylogeny, Prevalence, Respiratory Tract Diseases epidemiology, Respiratory Tract Diseases parasitology, Sex Distribution, Spirometra classification, Spirometra isolation & purification, Toxocara classification, Toxocara isolation & purification, Cat Diseases epidemiology, Gastrointestinal Diseases veterinary, Parasitic Diseases, Animal epidemiology, Respiratory Tract Diseases veterinary
- Abstract
The goal of this study was to assess the prevalence of gastrointestinal and respiratory parasites of shelter cats from northeast Georgia, thus promoting a more targeted approach in parasite diagnosis and treatment. Fecal samples of cats kept in a shelter located in Lavonia, northeastern Georgia, USA, were processed for the presence of parasites using double centrifugation sugar flotation (n = 103) and Baermann techniques (n = 98). Flotation revealed eggs of Toxocara cati (17.5%), Ancylostoma sp. (11.7%), Taeniidae (3.9%), Spirometra mansonoides (2.9%), Mesocestoides sp. (1%), Dipylidium caninum (1%), and Eucoleus aerophilus (1%), and oocysts of Cystoisospora felis (16.5%), and Cystoisospora rivolta (8.7%). Baermann diagnosed Aelurostrongylus abstrusus larvae in 5 cats (5.1%), while fecal flotation alone identified only 2 of these infections. Taeniidae eggs were identified to species-level by PCR and sequencing targeting the cytochrome oxidase c subunit 1 (cox1) of the mitochondrial DNA. All isolates belong to Hydatigera taeniaeformis sensu stricto, which is the first unequivocal report of the species in North America. Overall, 45.6% of the cats were infected with at least one parasite. This prevalence of infection is much higher than what is generally reported in client owned animals, highlighting the importance of using appropriate fecal diagnostic techniques to detect gastrointestinal and respiratory parasites on newly adopted cats. Correct diagnosis may direct appropriate treatment and control strategies, which would mitigate the risk of infection of other animals in household, and human exposure to zoonotic parasites., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2019
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