Patterns of parasitic infections in faecal samples from stray cat populations in Qatar

2007 ◽  
Vol 81 (3) ◽  
pp. 281-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.A. Abu-Madi ◽  
D.A. Al-Ahbabi ◽  
M.M. Al-Mashhadani ◽  
R. Al-Ibrahim ◽  
P. Pal ◽  
...  

AbstractThe parasite fauna of stray cat populations, comprising mainly helminth parasites, is described for the first time from the arid environment of the Qatar peninsula. During the winter and summer months of 2005, 824 faecal samples were examined from six sites in Qatar. Up to seven species of parasites were identified, six of which were nematodes –Strongyloides stercoralisas the most prevalent (18.4%), followed byAelurostrongylus abstrusus(7.5%),Toxocara cati(6.1%),Ancylostoma tubaeforme(5.9%) andPhysalopterasp. (4.8%) andToxascaris leonina(0.7%) – and one sporozoan species,Isospora felis(0.5%). Unidentified cestode eggs were also recovered from 10.7% of samples examined. The parasite species were found to be highly overdispersed in faecal samples from all sites, whereas the prevalence and intensity of infections were influenced by site and season. Infection levels tended to be higher during the winter season, especially in the case ofA. abstrususandA. tubaeforme, when conditions of temperature and humidity were more favourable for the development of egg and/or larval stages of parasites compared with the extremely hot and dry summer months. The results are discussed in relation to the distribution of the cat population in the vicinity of Doha and its outskirts and the potential threat of parasite transmission to human communities in Qatar.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aurora L. Ursache ◽  
Adriana Györke ◽  
Viorica Mircean ◽  
Mirabela Oana Dumitrache ◽  
Andrei Răzvan Codea ◽  
...  

Abstract Gastrointestinal parasites are involved in the health and wellbeing of cats and some of them, due to their zoonotic character represent a problem for the public health. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of parasitic infections in cats with digestive symptoms. Faecal samples collected from 137 cats were analysed by the flotation method using sodium chloride saturated solution. The overall prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) parasites was 56.6%. GI parasites were significantly (p=0.005) more common in cats with digestive symptoms (69.8%) than in clinically healthy ones (23.0%). Toxocara cati (40.2%) was the most frequently identified GI parasite, followed by Cystoisospora spp. (10.2%), Ancylostoma tubaeforme (3.7%), Taenia spp. (2.2), Giardia duodenalis (2.2%), and Toxoplasma gondii-like oocysts (0.7%). T. cati (53.3%, p<0.0001) and Cystoisospora spp. (15.6%, p<0.001) were significantly more frequently diagnosed in cats with digestive symptoms. Lack of deworming in the last three months (OR: 15.9), outdoor access (OR: 13.8), the presence of digestive symptoms (OR: 5.4), and young age (OR: 4.2) were identified as risk factors for T. cati infection by logistic regression analysis. Regardless of the age, symptoms like vomiting, diarrhoea, and inappetence were positively associated with T. cati.


2008 ◽  
Vol 82 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.A. Abu-Madi ◽  
P. Pal ◽  
A. Al-Thani ◽  
J.W. Lewis

AbstractA total of 488 stray cats, 212 adult and 29 juvenile females plus 235 adult and 12 juvenile males, were examined post-mortem during the winter and summer months of 2006 from five sites in the vicinity of Doha and its outskirts. Five helminths, comprising three nematode and two cestode species were identified and the majority of cats harboured two of these species. The most prevalent was the cestodeTaenia taeniaeformis(75.8%), followed by the cestodeDiplopylidiumsp. (42.8%), and the nematodesAncylostoma tubaeforme(17.0%),Physalopterasp. (6.6%) andToxocara cati(0.8%). All five species were found to be typically overdispersed in their distribution. Using univariate and multivariate analyses, the prevalence and abundance of infections were primarily influenced by host gender and season, with females tending to harbour higher levels of infection during the summer. No significant differences were found relative to site except in the case ofPhysalopterasp. Using bivariate Pearson product moment correlations, significant positive co-occurrences were identified betweenDiplopylidiumsp. andT. taeniaeformisand also betweenA. tubaeformeandT. taeniaeformis. The results are discussed in relation to the effect of environmental conditions on the intestinal helminth infracommunities and their possible interactions in stray cat populations from such a harsh and arid region as Qatar.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aurora L. Ursache ◽  
Adriana Györke ◽  
Viorica Mircean ◽  
Mirabela Oana Dumitrache ◽  
Andrei Răzvan Codea ◽  
...  

Abstract Gastrointestinal parasites are involved in the health and wellbeing of cats and some of them, due to their zoonotic character represent a problem for the public health. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of parasitic infections in cats with digestive symptoms. Faecal samples collected from 137 cats were analysed by the flotation method using sodium chloride saturated solution. The overall prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) parasites was 56.6%. GI parasites were significantly (p=0.005) more common in cats with digestive symptoms (69.8%) than in clinically healthy ones (23.0%). Toxocara cati (40.2%) was the most frequently identified GI parasite, followed by Cystoisospora spp. (10.2%), Ancylostoma tubaeforme (3.7%), Taenia spp. (2.2), Giardia duodenalis (2.2%), and Toxoplasma gondii-like oocysts (0.7%). T. cati (53.3%, p<0.0001) and Cystoisospora spp. (15.6%, p<0.001) were significantly more frequently diagnosed in cats with digestive symptoms. Lack of deworming in the last three months (OR: 15.9), outdoor access (OR: 13.8), the presence of digestive symptoms (OR: 5.4), and young age (OR: 4.2) were identified as risk factors for T. cati infection by logistic regression analysis. Regardless of the age, symptoms like vomiting, diarrhoea, and inappetence were positively associated with T. cati.


Author(s):  
Phạm Hồng Sơn ◽  
Phạm Hồng Kỳ ◽  
Nguyễn Thị Lan Hương ◽  
Phạm Thị Hồng Hà

. Using the method of shifting assay of standardized indirect agglutination (SSIA), the prevalence of Newcastle disease viruses (NDV) and infectious bursal disease viruses (IBDV) in chickens reared in several districts of Thua Thien Hue province in the Spring-Summer and Fall-Winter seasons was determined. In the Spring-Summer season of 2011, about 22.3% of the chickens were infected with NDV, in which A Luoi  accounted for the highest percentage of 25% of the infected chickens and Huong Thuy  the lowest  of 18.2%. Meanwhile, 36% of the same chickens were infected with IBDV, with the highest percentage (46.66%) also in A Luoi and the lowest (30.3%) also in Huong Thuy. The intensity of NDV infection in the Spring-Summer season in A Luoi and Phu Vang was highest (GMT = 1.45), and in Huong Thuy lowest (GMT = 1.31). In addition, in the Fall-Winter season, about 46% of the chickens were infected with NDV and 46.3% with IBDV in Huong Thuy and Phu Vang – two neighbouring districts of Hue City, in which NDV was detected in 54.4% of the chickens in Huong Thuy and 33.9% in Phu Vang. In contrast, IBDV was detected in 41.9% and 52.7% of the chickens respectively in the two districts. The infection was not inter-dependent. Methodically, although the differences in the infection rates were insignificant with the accuracy of 95%, faecal samples showed higher sensitivity in SSIA analyses for both cases of NDV and IBDV infection in comparision with mouth exudates. By SSIA method, results could be read clearly with unaided eyes for a long time after the performance, and it was also proven applicable for cases of haemagglutinating viruses if proper treatments for depletion of animal RBCs’ surface agglutinins could be applied.


1970 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Farjana ◽  
KR Islam ◽  
MMH Mondal

 A study was conducted to investigate the population density of helminth parasites in domestic ducks (Anas boschas domesticus) in relation to host's age, sex, breed and seasons of the year from March 2002 to May 2003. A total of 300 ducks were collected from different villages of Netrokona and Mymensingh districts of Bangladesh and autopsied to collect the parasites and counted to determine the population density of parasites. Off 300 ducks examined, 290 (96.66%) were infected with 17 species of helminth parasites in which 11 species were trematodes, 4 were cestodes and 2 nematodes. Among the parasites, density of cestodes was the highest (33.15±5.26), followed by trematodes (5.98±1.32); and nematodes (2.95±0.68). Mean density of parasites increased with the increase of age (young: 21.23±1.09, adult: 26.18±2.14 and old: 27.87±2.98) while the mean density of most of the helminth parasites was higher in female ducks (31.35±4.72) than in males (27.52±3.32). Indigenous ducks (33.72±3.61) were infected with the highest load of helminths than Khaki Campbell breed (29.61±4.32) of ducks. Mean density of most trematodes (5.42±0.80) were highest in winter season whereas mean density of all cestodes (48.43±4.85) and nematodes (4.13±1.76) were highest in summer.  The present study suggests that age, sex, breed of ducks and seasons of the year influence the parasitic infection to a greater extend. Key words: Population density, helminths, duck, Bangladesh DOI = 10.3329/bjvm.v6i1.1338 Bangl. J. Vet. Med. (2008). 6 (1): 45-51


2007 ◽  
Vol 81 (4) ◽  
pp. 377-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier Millán ◽  
Joan Carles Casanova

AbstractFive critically endangered Iberian lynxes (Lynx pardinus) and 35 other sympatric carnivores (19 feral catsFelis catus, 12 Egyptian mongoosesHerpestes ichneumon, and 4 common genetsGenetta genetta) were analysed for helminths in Sierra Morena and Doñana area (southern Spain).Ancylostoma tubaeforme, which was believed to be harmful for lynx cubs according to a previous study, was present in the only lynx and in 53% of cats analysed in Doñana (80% in adult cats). Other species shared in both areas wereToxocara cati(1 lynx, 31% of cats),Joyeuxiella pasqualei(1 lynx, 21% of cats) andMesocestoidessp. (2 lynxes, 5% of cats). Only one mongoose was parasitized, harbouring larvae of two acantocephalan species not previously reported in the Iberian peninsula (Centrorhynchus(Sphaerirostris)lanceaandCentrorhynchus(Longirostris)undulatus). Feral cats may be a reservoir for hookworms and other helminths affecting the Iberian lynx. In contrast, mongooses and genets may not play a role in the epidemiology of these species.


2005 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
John B. Githiori ◽  
Johan Höglund ◽  
Peter J. Waller

AbstractEthnomedicine is an integral part of traditional medical practices in many countries of the developing world. A large proportion of the population uses this form of treatment for primary health care and for the treatment of ailments in their livestock. Livestock is a major asset for resource-poor smallholder farmers and pastoralists throughout the world and internal parasites are recognized by these communities as having an impact on livestock health. Parasitic infections are among those infections that traditional healers confidently treat and against which an enormous variety of remedies exist. Many of these are based on the use of plant preparations. Although various methods have been used for the validation of traditional phytomedical preparations, there is a lack of standardization of these procedures. The present study is aimed at providing an overview of ethnoveterinary deworming preparations, the various methods that have been used in their validation and the future prospects for their use against helminth parasites of ruminant livestock in developing countries, with an emphasis on nematode parasites. Recommendations are made on the procedures that should be followed to conduct in vivo and in vitro assays. Fostering better interaction between traditional healers and scientists is advocated to prevent harmful overexploitation, both of local knowledge and of plant species that may have effects against nematode parasites.


Parasitology ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 99 (S1) ◽  
pp. S21-S35 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Wakelin

SUMMARYParasitic infections in man and domestic animals exhibit two striking characteristics (a) their prevalence is high, but infections are unequally distributed among individuals within populations and (b) immunity is often slow to develop and appears, at best, only partially effective. Recent immunological and epidemiological studies suggest that effective immunity can develop, but that high prevalence within populations reflects the operation, not only of socio-economic and climatic factors, or husbandry practices, but also of powerful environmentally induced constraints upon the development of resistance. Immunogenetic studies suggest the operation of additional constraints which reflect individual genetic characteristics, and which influence the ability to develop and express effective immunity. A full understanding of all constraints is necessary before levels of population and individual resistance to infection can be increased; the need for such understanding has become more pressing with the prospect that anti-parasite vaccines may become available. Two aspects of environmentally induced constraints are considered, those arising from nutritional inadequacies and those resulting from exposure to infection in early life. Both are discussed primarily in terms of helminth parasites. Genetically determined constraints are discussed with reference to MHC-restricted recognition of malarial peptide vaccines and in terms of Class II molecule-directed control of T-cell function inLeishmaniainfections. Genetic influences are also considered from the standpoint of inflammatory cell function, in immunity against intestinal nematodes and in vaccine-induced immunity againstSchistosoma. Finally, parasite-induced constraints, particularly those which down-regulate protective responses are discussed briefly.


2017 ◽  
Vol 78 (3) ◽  
pp. 574-578 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Jeske ◽  
T. F. Bianchi ◽  
M. Q. Moura ◽  
B. Baccega ◽  
N. B. Pinto ◽  
...  

Abstract Intestinal parasitic infections in immunocompromised patients can lead to serious complications when not diagnosed and treated early. This study aimed to investigate the frequency of intestinal parasites in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy in the South of Brazil. Three fecal samples collected from each patient (73 individuals) were processed by Ritchie and Faust techniques and submitted to specific staining methods for intestinal protozoa. A 61.6% parasite and/or commensal positivity was found. Helminths identified were Ascaris lumbricoides (33.3%), Taenia spp. (6.6%), Strongyloides stercoralis (4.4%) and Trichuris trichiura (2.2%). Among protozoans, Giardia lamblia (26.6%), Cryptosporidium spp. (13.3%) and Cystoisospora belli (4.4%) were identified. The presence of Entamoeba coli, Endolimax nana and Entamoeba hartmanni was also recorded. The results obtained warn of the importance of fecal parasitological diagnosis and the use of specific staining methods for the detection of intestinal parasites in cancer patients. These exams should be regularly requested at the patient’s first clinic visit, given the high prevalence found in this study and the possible severity of such conditions for these individuals.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kartik Natrajan ◽  
Mahenderkumar Medisetty ◽  
Raviraj Gawali ◽  
Ajit Tambolkar ◽  
Divya Patel ◽  
...  

Parasitic infections such as Strongyloides stercoralis and HIV have been reported to coexist, particularly in resource-limited settings such as India. In an immunocompromised host, S. stercoralis can progress to strongyloidiasis hyperinfection syndrome (SHS). However, SHS is not common in patients with advanced HIV disease. Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) developing after initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) can target multiple pathogens including S. stercoralis. The authors present here a 46-year-old HIV-infected female who was recently diagnosed with HIV-1 infection, started ART, and developed SHS. Her upper GI endoscopy revealed severe gastroduodenitis, and X-ray chest showed extensive bilateral pneumonitis. We could identify S. stercoralis in induced sputum and duodenal biopsy. We could also identify gut inflammation to restrict invading parasites. After receiving antihelminthic therapy, she showed improvement, a course of events that fit the diagnosis of unmasking S. stercoralis IRIS.


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