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PARASITES OF CATS :
AN UNDERESTIMATED DIVERSITY
Jelgava September 2014
Introduction
Parasites are animals that benefit at the expense of another organism (called the
host), usually of a different species.
The association may also lead to the injury of the host.
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Introduction
Common features of all parasites
Cold-blooded invertebrates
Animals - High reproduction rates
Infestation dependent on external
conditions for ectoparasites
(seasonality of the market)
Less marked for internal parasites
Life cycle with several stages
Different forms with different
sensitivities to treatment and
different localisations
Parasites fight against the host
immune system
Infestation level may vary from
one individual to another
(influence of age). Young animals
are usually more susceptible
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Cat Ectoparasites : Arthopods
• Acarians
• Insects
Chewing louse
Demodex mite
Ear mite
Mosquito
Sandfly
Flea
Walking dandruff mite
Tick
Cat mange mite
Ectoparasites
Endoparasites
Cat Endoparasites
Digestive = Gastro-intestinal parasites
Parasites of other organs or tissues
• Respiratory parasites (Oslerus, Crenosoma, Filaroides,
Aelurostrongylus)
• Heart and arteries (Angiostrongylus vasorum, Dirofilaria immitis)
• Vesical (Capillaria, Dioctophyme)
• Systemic: Phagocytes (Leishmania) - Blood (Babesia)
Diversity of parasites
– Helminths (= worms)
– Protozoans
Cat Endoparasites
UNICELLULARS
Protozoans
WORMS
Nematodes
Cestodes
(tapeworms)
Giardia
Roundworm
Tritrichomonas
Cat roundworm
Coccidia
Hookworm
Babesia
Cytauxzoon
Leishmania
Threadworm
Eyeworm
Taenia tapeworm
Dipylidium tapeworm
Echinococcus tapeworm
Broad tapeworm
Mesocestoides
tapeworm
Liver fluke
Cat lungworm
Bladder worm
Ectoparasites
Endoparasites
Heartworm
Nematodes
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•
•
•
Cylindrical section
Length = 0.5 mm to 1 m
Separate gender
± 26000 species not all
parasites
Growth by
molting
Cuticle
= close to arthropods
Worms : nematodes
Toxocara sp
Ancylostoma sp
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Life cycle
Nematodes
Definitive Host
Ex : Cat
L3
L4
Pre-adults
adults male & female
Eggs or
Larvae
Ingestion or
vector
transmission
L3
Intermediate Host or
External Environment
L1
L2
RESISTANT FORMS
Cat roundworm (Toxocara cati)
Example
Larvae migrate into the LUNG
In kittens (<6 months)
tracheal migration > adult in DT
In adults: somatic migration
= cysts in the body
possible reactivation
during oestrus and pregnancy
D. H.
INGESTION
1
LACTOGENIC
TRANSMISSION
Adults
Kittens can become
infected from the milk
P. H.
Rodents
P.H. ingest
infective eggs
2 Non-infective
eggs
2-4 weeks
Prepatent period
= 4- 6 weeks
Longevity of
adults
= 6 months
3
Infective
eggs
Faeces
Non-infective eggs
VERY RESISTANT
FORMS
Plathelminthes = Flatworms
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•
•


Flat section
Hermaphrodites + all Endoparasites
2 groups
Trematodes: no segmentation
Cestodes: body divided in several segments (proglottids)
FOCUS ON CESTODES :
• Flat worms that look like tape, ribbon > tapeworm
• Segmented body including 3 parts: Scolex, Neck, Body
• Fixation structures (scolex & rostrum)
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Worms: cestodes = tapeworm
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EUD LAUNCH CONVENTION
BUCHAREST 2014
Life cycle
Cestodes
Definitive Host
Ex : Cat
Hermaphrodite adults in the digestive track
Eggs
(alone or in
proglottids)
Intermediate Host
Larvae = Immature stages (different forms)
Dipylidium tapeworm (Dipylidium caninum)
Example
D. H.
Human risk
4
1
Cats ingest fleas
Adults (small intestine)
Cysticercoids
Faeces
Proglottid
(containing egg packets)
2 Egg packets
Adult fleas
I.H. ingest the eggs
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I. H.
Hexacanth
embryo
Flea pupal stage
Larval stage of fleas
Importance of helminths endoparasites
• Prevalence : 5-20% of dogs/cats are infested by intestinal worms
(up to 60-90 % in kennels)
•
Medical importance
Toxocarosis, Heartworm disease, Ancylostomosis
•
Economic consequences : Toxocarosis / breeding
•
Zoonotic risks
• Larva migrans due to ascarids or ancylostomes
• Multilocular Echinococcosis
Epidemiological
data
Results of a 2012-2013 european
multicentric survey on cat parasites
P. Bourdeau, V. Cosma, R. Farkas, J. Guillot, L. Halos, A. Joachim, B. Losson, G. Miro,
D. Otranto, L. Rinaldi, F. Beugnet
2012-2013: ONE YEAR ROUND
STUDY
 9 veterinary faculties from 7
European countries
FRANCE: Nantes, Maisons-Alfort
ITALY: Napoli, Bari
SPAIN: Madrid
BELGIUM (Liège)
AUSTRIA (Vienna)
HUNGARY (Budapest)
ROMANIA (Cluj-Napoca)
 Enrolment criteria
 Routine consultation (no acute disease, no parasitic disease)
 No anthelmintic treatment for 2 months prior to inclusion
 No ectoparasiticide treatment for 1 month prior to inclusion
 Random sampling of cats weekly
PARASITE CHECKING
•
ECTOPARASITE CHECKING
– Combing for fleas and ticks
• Stored in 60% ethanol for identification to species
• [Specific Dipylidium PCR on fleas]
– Otoscope examination for ear mites
– Adhesive tape and skin scrapping if suspected skin mite infestations
•
ENDOPARASITE CHECKING
– Examination of faecal samples
– Macroscopic examination: adult parasites and cestode proglottids
– Microscopic examination: cysts, eggs and larvae
 Each centre used its normal standard parasitological techniques for
faecal analysis.
RESULTS
• 1519 ownedcats enrolled
SITE
AUSTRIA
Nb of
cats
92
ALFORT
NANTES
BARI
NAPOLI
SPAIN
BELGIUM
ROMANIA
96
91
300
215
70
55
300
HUNGARY
300
Cat demographic data
Female
Male
57.0% (866)
43.0% (653)
Age
<6 months
14.9% (223)
6-24 months
31.3% (470)
> 24 months
53.8% (807)
LIFESTYLE
Appartment
House
42.1% (639)
57.9% (880)
HUNTING
NOT HUNTING
53.2% (808)
46.8% (711)
Frequent outdoor access
Mainly indoors
72.0% (1093)
28.0% (426)
Multipet household
Single animal
75.5% (1147)
24.5% (372)
RESULTS
More than the half of the European Cat
population carry at least 1 parasite
Out of 1519 examined cats
50,7% (770) were infested by
parasites (external or internal)
ECTOPARASITE INFESTATION
% (nb)
CI95%
Overall ectoparasite
29.6% (450)
27.3 - 32
Fleas
15.5% (236)
13.7 -17.5
Ticks
1.18% (18)
0.7 - 1.87
Otodectes
17.5% (265)
15.6 - 19.5
Other ectoparasites
1.38% (21)
0.86 - 2.11
Other ectoparasite infestation included
 Felicola subrastratus (13 cats)
 Cheyletiella blakei (5 cats)
 Notoedres cati (3 cats)
ENDOPARASITE INFESTATION
Overall endoparasite
Gastro-intestinal helminthes
GI nematodes
GI cestodes
% (nb)
35.1% (533/1519)
CI95%
[32.7%-35.7%]
25.7% (390/1519)
[23.5%-28.0%]
20.5% (312/1519)
[19.1%-23.3%]
7.0% (64/1519)
Protozoans
20.6% (182/885)
Respiratory nematodes
5.4% (60/1115)
[5.8%-8.5%]
[18.0%-23.4%]
[4.1%-6.9%]
GI helminthes - NEMATODES
20.5% (312)
[19.1%-23.3%]
Roundworm (Toxocara cati)
19.8% (300)
[17.8%-21.8%]
Toxascaris leonina
Hookworm
Ancylostoma tubaeformae /
Uncinaria stenocephala
0.33% (5)
1.45% (22)
[0.11%-0.77%]
Gastro-intestinal nematodes
[0.91%-2.18%]
Ancylostoma egg
GI helminthes - CESTODES
Gastro-intestinal cestodes
7.0% (64)
[5.8%-8.5%]
! poor sensitivity of coproscopy for the detection of
cestode
As demonstrated in previous studies, coproscopic
estimation for cestodes leads to under-estimation :
5x more infested animals.
Co-infestations
Both external and internal
parasites
14.0% (213)
[12.3%-15.9%]
Fleas and gastro-intestinal nematodes
5.4% (82)
[4.3%-6.7%]
Fleas and Toxocara spp.
5.3% (80)
[4.2%-6.5%]
Fleas and Dipylidium spp.
0,46% (7)
[0.19%-0.95%]
Co-infestation by external and internal parasites is not a
rare event in cats
Conclusion
Conclusion
• Worms are common in cats
• Important variations between individuals,
breeding kennels, other kennels, rural areas, urban
areas, medicalized animal or not
• Life cycles are complex
• Public health risk may be significant
• Deworming management and advise is a
important task of the veterinarians