TY - JOUR
T1 - Retrospective study on the occurrence of the feline lungworms Aelurostrongylus abstrusus and Troglostrongylus spp. in endemic areas of Italy
AU - Di Cesare, Angela
AU - Di Francesco, Gabriella
AU - Frangipane di Regalbono, Antonio
AU - Eleni, Claudia
AU - De Liberato, Claudio
AU - Marruchella, Giuseppe
AU - Iorio, Raffaella
AU - Malatesta, Daniela
AU - Romanucci, Maria Rita
AU - Bongiovanni, Laura
AU - Cassini, Rudi
AU - Traversa, Donato
PY - 2015/2/1
Y1 - 2015/2/1
N2 - Troglostrongylus brevior and Troglostrongylus subcrenatus, two lungworms thought to infest wild felids, have been found recently in domestic cats from Spain and Italy. These unexpected findings have raised doubts about the assumed past and present occurrence of Troglostrongylus spp., especially T. brevior, in domestic hosts and suggest that there may have been missed detection or misdiagnosis. The present retrospective study evaluated the presence of lungworms in cats from Italy with a diagnosis of respiratory parasitism or with compatible lung lesions from 2002 to 2013. Sixty-eight samples of DNA and larvae from cats with a diagnosis of aelurostrongylosis, and 53 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded lung samples from cats confirmed as lungworm infested or with compatible lesions, were investigated using two DNA-based assays specific for A. abstrusus or T. brevior. All DNA and larval samples were positive for A. abstrusus and one was additionally positive for T. brevior. Most paraffin-embedded lung tissues were positive only for A. abstrusus, but two samples tested positive for both lungworms and one for T. brevior only. This study supports the major role of A. abstrusus in causing feline respiratory parasitism in endemic areas of Italy.
AB - Troglostrongylus brevior and Troglostrongylus subcrenatus, two lungworms thought to infest wild felids, have been found recently in domestic cats from Spain and Italy. These unexpected findings have raised doubts about the assumed past and present occurrence of Troglostrongylus spp., especially T. brevior, in domestic hosts and suggest that there may have been missed detection or misdiagnosis. The present retrospective study evaluated the presence of lungworms in cats from Italy with a diagnosis of respiratory parasitism or with compatible lung lesions from 2002 to 2013. Sixty-eight samples of DNA and larvae from cats with a diagnosis of aelurostrongylosis, and 53 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded lung samples from cats confirmed as lungworm infested or with compatible lesions, were investigated using two DNA-based assays specific for A. abstrusus or T. brevior. All DNA and larval samples were positive for A. abstrusus and one was additionally positive for T. brevior. Most paraffin-embedded lung tissues were positive only for A. abstrusus, but two samples tested positive for both lungworms and one for T. brevior only. This study supports the major role of A. abstrusus in causing feline respiratory parasitism in endemic areas of Italy.
KW - Aelurostrongylus abstrusus
KW - Cat
KW - Epidemiology
KW - PCR
KW - Troglostrongylus spp
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84922904327&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.tvjl.2014.12.010
DO - 10.1016/j.tvjl.2014.12.010
M3 - Article
C2 - 25577021
AN - SCOPUS:84922904327
SN - 1090-0233
VL - 203
SP - 233
EP - 238
JO - Veterinary Journal
JF - Veterinary Journal
IS - 2
ER -