Investigation of the Prevalence of Lungworm According to Fecal Examination in Cats in Kırklareli Region/Türkiye
Keywords:
Diagnosis, Lung, Nematoda, Parasitism, EpidemiologyAbstract
The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of lungworm according to fecal examination in cats in Kırklareli region. For this purpose, stool samples were taken from the defecation areas of 100 owned and stray cats in the Kırklareli region. Stool samples taken were delivered to Kırıkkale University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Routine and Epidemiology laboratory in accordance with the cold chain rules. Stool samples were examined for lungworm using the Fülleborn Flotation technique and the Baermann technique. McMaster test was used to determine the number of larvae/eggs per gram of feces, which were positive for the larvae of lungworm. As a result of the study, Aelurostrongylus abstrusus larvae, one of the lungworm of cats, were found in 8 (8%) of the cat feces examined by the Baermann method, while all feces were negative in the Fülleborn flotation method. There was no statistically significant difference in terms of A. abstrusus positivity according to age, breed and gender. A minimum of 50 and a maximum of 500 larvae were found in per gram of feces using the McMaster technique. In conclusion, this study is the first to determine lungworm in cats in Kırklareli region. It has been demonstrated once again that A. abstrusus is the dominant species as the lungworm in cats in Türkiye.
References
Altaş MG, Taşan E. 1999. Elazığ ili kırsal kedilerinde ekto- ve endoparazitler ve bunların halk sağlığı yönünden önemi. Fırat Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi, 13: 233-242.
Anderson RC. 2000. Nematode Parasites of Vertebrates. Their Development and Transmission. Wallingford, CAB international, UK.
Asılıoglu B, Gokpinar S. 2021. Prevalence of lungworms according to fecal examination in cats and dogs. Van Veterinary Journal, 32 (3): 104-108.
Atasever A, Yazar S. 2009. Aelurostrongylus abstrusus pneumonia in an immunosuppressed cat. Turkish Society for Parasitology, 33 (1): 89-91.
Barutzki D, Schaper R. 2013. Occurrence and regional distribution of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus in cats in Germany. Parasitology Research, 112: 855–861.
Bowman DD, Hendrix CM, Lindsay DS, Barr SC. 2002. Feline Clinical Parasitology. Ames, Iowa State University Press.
Brianti E, Gaglio G, Giannetto S, Annoscia G, Latrofa MS, Dantas-Torres F, Traversa D, Otranto D. 2012. Troglostrongylus brevior and Troglostrongylus subcrenatus (Strongylida: Crenosomatidae) as agents of broncho-pulmonary infestation in domestic cats. Parasites & Vectors, 5: 178.
Brianti E, Gaglio G, Napoli E, Falsone L, Giannetto S, Latrofa MS, Giannelli A, Dantas-Torres F, Otranto D. 2013. Evidence for direct transmission of the cat lungworm Troglostrongylus brevior (Strongylida: Crenosomatidae). Parasitology, 140: 821–824.
Brianti E, Giannetto S, Dantas-Torres F, Otranto D. 2014. Lungworms of the genus Troglostrongylus (Strongylida: Crenosomatidae): neglected parasites for domestic cats. Veterinary Parasitology, 202: 104–112.
Burgu A, Sarimehmetoglu O. 2004. Aelurostrongylus abstrusus infection in two cats. Veterinary Record, 154 (19):602-604.
Carruth AJ, Buch JS, Braff JC, Chandrashekar R, Bowman, DD. 2019. Distribution of the feline Aelurostrongylus abstrusus in the USA based on fecal testing lungworm. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery Open Reports, 1-6.
Ciopaşiu RM, Berbece EF, Ionita M, Mitrea IL. 2018. Clinical and epidemiological study on Aelurostrongylus abstrusus infection in cats, Romania; Preliminary data. Agriculture for Life Life for Agriculture” Conference Proceedings, 1(1): 428-431.
Colella V, Knaus M, Lai O, Cantile C, Abramo F, Rehbein S, Otranto D. 2019. Mice as paratenic hosts of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus. Parasites & Vectors, 12: 49.
Conboy GA. 2009. Helminth parasites of the canine and feline respiratory tract. Veterinary clinics of north america. Small Animal Practice, 39 (6): 1109–1126.
Conboy GA, Sykes JE. 2023. Nematode Infectious of the Respiratory Tract. Greene’s Infectious Diseases of the Dog and Cats, Fifth ed. Saunders.
Crisi PE, Di Cesare A, Boari A. 2018. Feline troglostrongylosis: Current epizootiology, clinical features, and therapeutic options. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 5:126.
Diakou A, Di Cesare A, Barros LA, Morelli S, Halos L, Beugnet F, Traversa D. 2015. Occurrence of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus and Troglostrongylus brevior in domestic cats in Greece. Parasites & Vectors, 8: 590.
Di Cesare, A, Di Francesco G, Di Regalbono AF, Eleni C, De Liberato C, Marruchella G Iorio R, Malatesta D, Romanucci MR, Bongiovanni L, Cassini R, Traversa D. 2015. Retrospective study on the occurrence of the feline lungworms Aelurostrongylus abstrusus and Troglostrongylus spp. in endemic areas of Italy. The Veterinary Journal, 203 (2): 233-238.
Di Cesare A, Frangipane di Regalbono A, Tessarin C, Seghetti M, Iorio R, Simonato G, Traversa D. 2014. Mixed infection by Aelurostrongylus abstrusus and Troglostrongylus brevior in kittens from the same litter in Italy. Parasitology Research, 113: 613–618.
Doğanay A, Öge H, Öge S, Yıldız K. 2018. Nematoda (yuvarlak helmintler), in: Doğanay A (Ed.), Helmintoloji. Ankara Nobel Tıp Kitabevleri Ltd Şti, Ankara, Türkiye, pp:149-340.
Elsheikha HM, Wright I, Wang B, Schaper R. 2019. Prevalence of feline lungworm Aelurostrongylus abstrusus in England. Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports, 16: 100271.
Falsone L, Colella V, Napoli E, Brianti E, Otranto D. 2017. The cockroach Periplaneta americana as a potential paratenic host of the lungworm Aelurostrongylus abstrusus. Experimental Parasitology, 182: 54–57.
Farago ECF, Pacheco AD, Malavazi PFNS, Colombo M, Morelli S, Di Cesare A, Souza SF. 2022. Occurrence of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus in domestic cats in Vilhena, Rondônia, Brazil. Brazilian Journal of Veterinary Parasitology, 31(4): e008622.
Gerichter CB. 1949. Studies on the nematodes parasitic in the lungs of felidae in palestine. Parasitology, 39: 251–262.
Giannelli A, Brianti E, Varcasia A, Colella V, Tamponi C, Di Paola G, Knaus M. 2015. Efficacy of Broadline R spot-on against Aelurostrongylus abstrusus and Troglostrongylus brevior lungworms in naturally infected cats from Italy. Veterinary Parasitology, 209: 273–277.
Giannelli A, Capelli G, Joachim A, Hinney B, Losson B, Kirkova Z, René-Martellet M, Papadopoulos E, Farkas R, Napoli E, Brianti E, Tamponi C, Varcasia A, Alho AM, Carvalho LM, Cardoso L, Maia C, Mircean V, Mihalca AD, Miro G, Schnyder M, Cantacessi C, Colella V, Cavalera MA, Latrofa MS, Annoscia G, Knaus M, Halos L, Beugnet F, Otranto D. 2017. Lungworms and gastrointestinal parasites of domestic cats: a European perspective. International Journal for Parasitology, 47 (9): 517–528.
Giannelli A, Ramos RAN, Annoscia G, Di Cesare A, Colella V, Brianti E, Dantas-Torres F, Mutafchiev Y, Otranto D. 2014. Development of the feline lungworms Aelurostrongylus abstrusus and Troglostrongylus brevior in Helix aspersa snails. Parasitology, 141(4): 563-569.
Gokpinar S, Yildiz K. 2010. The effect of different temperatures on viability of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus first stage larvae in faeces of cats. Turkish Society for Parasitology, 34 (2): 102-105.
Grandi G, Comin A, Ibrahim O, Schaper R, Forshell U, Lind EU. 2017. Prevalence of helminth and coccidian parasites in Swedish outdoor cats and the first report of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus in Sweden: a coprological investigation. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica, 59: 19.
Hansen AP, Skarbye LK, Vinther LM, Willesen JL, Pipper CB, Olsen CS, Mejer H. 2017. Occurrence and clinical significance of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus and another endoparasites in Danish cats. Veterinary Parasitology, 234: 31-39.
Ilić T, Dimitrijević S, Mitrovićv S, Džamić A, Đurić B. 2009. Capillariosis - Opportunistic Zoonosis. XIV Annual Conference of Veterinarians of the Republic of Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Jahorina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 03 – 06 June 2009, pp. 78.
Jefferies R, Vrhovec MG, Wallner N, Catalan DR. 2010. Aelurostrongylus abstrusus and Troglostrongylus sp. (Nematoda: Metastrongyloidea) infections in cats inhabiting Ibiza, Spain. Veterinary Parasitology, 173: 344–348.
Khatat SE, Rosenberg D, Benchekroun G, Polack B. 2016. Lungworm Eucoleus aerophilus (Capillaria aerophila) infection in a feline immunodeficiency virus-positive cat in France. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 1–5.
Kiszely S, Gyurkovszky M, Solymosi N, Farkas R. 2019. Survey of lungworm infection of domestic cats in Hungary. Acta Veterinaria Hungarica, 67 (3): 407-417.
Lopez-Osorio S, Navarro-Ruiz JL, Rave A, Taubert A, Hermosilla C, Chaparro-Gutierrez JJ. 2021. Aelurostrongylus abstrusus infections in domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus) from Antioquia, Colombia. Pathogens, 10: 337.
Mimioğlu M. 1951. Kedilerimizde ilk defa müşahede edilen Capillaria aerophila (Akciğer kılkurdu) olayları. Veteriner Hekimler Derneği Dergisi, 21: 295-301.
Miro G, Montoya A, Jimenez S, Frisuelos C, Mateo M, Fuentes I. 2004. Prevalence of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii and intestinal parasites in stray, farm and household cats in Spain. Veterinary Parasitology, 126: 249-255.
Morelli S, Diakou A, Colombo M, Di Cesare A, Barlaam A, Dimzas D, Traversa, D. 2021. Cat respiratory nematodes: Current knowledge, novel data and warranted studies on clinical features, treatment and control. Pathogens, 10: 454.
Morelli S, Traversa D, Colombo M, Raue K, Strube C, Pollmer M, Di Cesare A. 2020. The effect of the hibernation on the larval development of Troglostrongylus brevior in the land snail Cornu aspersum. Veterinary Parasitology, 282: 109123.
Nabais J, Alho AM, Gomes L, da Silva JF, Nunes T, Vicente G, de Carvalho LM. 2014. Aelurostrongylus abstrusus in cats and Angiostrongylus vasorum in dogs From Lisbon, Portugal. Acta Parasitologica Portuguesa, 20 (1/2): 35-40.
Olsen CS, Willesen JL, Pipper CB, Mejer H. 2015. Occurrence of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus (Railliet, 1898) in Danish cats: A modified lung digestion method for isolating adult worms. Veterinary Parasitology, 210 (1-2): 32–39.
Payo-Puente P, Botelho-Dinis M, Urueña AMC, Payo-Puente M, Gonzalo-Orden JM, Rojo-Vazquez FA. 2008. Prevalence study of the lungworm Aelurostrongylus abstrusus in stray cats of Portugal. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 10: 242-246.
Rehbein S, Capári B, Duscher G, Keidane D, Kirkova Z, Petkevicius S, Rapti D, Wagner A, Wagner T, Chester T, Rosentel J, Tielemans E, Visser M, Winter R, Kley K, Knaus M. 2014. Efficacy against nematode and cestode infections and safety of a novel topical fipronil, (S)-methoprene, eprinomectin and praziquantel combination product in domestic cats under field conditions in Europe. Veterinary Parasitology, 202(1-2): 10–17.
Robben SR, Le Nobel WE, Döpfer D, Hendrikx WM, Boersema JH, Fransen F, Eysker ME. 2004. Infections with helminths and/or protozoa in cats in animal shelters in the Netherlands. Tijdschrift voor Diergeneeskunde, 129: 2-6.
Stoichev I, Sherkov S, Halachev M. 1982. Pathology of cats from a region of Bulgaria with human endemic nephropathy. Journal of Comparative Pathology, 92: 99-107.
Szatmari V. 2016. Feline lungworm infection, in: Little SE. (Ed.), August’s Consultations in Feline Internal Medicine. Saunders, pp. 379-386.
Şenlik B. (2016). Teşhis yöntemleri, in: Helmintoloji. Tınar, R (Edt). Nobel Yayın No:965. Nobel Basım Evi. 1. Baskı. Ankara, p:463-535.
Traversa D, Di Cesare A. 2013. Feline lungworms: what a dilemma. Trends in Parasitology, 29: 423–430.
Traversa D, Di Cesare A. 2016. Diagnosis and management of lungworm infections in cats; Cornerstones, dilemmes and new avenues. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 18: 7–20.
Traversa D, Di Cesare A, Lia RP, Castagna G, Meloni S, Heine J, Strube K, Milillo P, Otranto D, Meckers O, Schaper R. 2011. New Insights into Morphological and Biological Features of Capillaria aerophila (Trichocephalida, Trichuridae). Parasitology Research, 109: 97-104.
Traversa D, Di Cesare A, Milillo P, Iorio R, Otranto D. 2009. Infection by Eucoleus aerophilus in dogs and cats: is another extra-intestinal parasitic nematode of pets emerging in Italy? Research in Veterinary Science, 87: 270–272.
Traversa D, Lia RP, Iorio R, Boari A, Paradies P, Capelli G, Avolio S, Otranto D. 2008. Diagnosis and risk factors of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus (Nematoda, Strongylida) infection in cats from Italy. Veterinary Parasitology, 153: 182–186.
Tuzer E, Toparlak M, Gargili A, Keles V, Esatgil MU. 2002. A case of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus infection in a cat in İstanbul, Turkey and its treatment with moxidectin and levamisole. Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, 26 (2):411-414.
Umur S, Barili O, Gencay Topcu EB, Gurler AT. 2020. Report of a Troglostrongylus brevior case in a domestic cat in Turkey. Turkish Society for Parasitology, 44 (3): 176-178.
Waap H, Gomes J, Nunes T. 2014. Parasite communities in stray cat populations from Lisbon, Portugal. Journal of Helminthology, 88: 389–395.
Yildirim I, Ozturk B, Solmaz DE, Baydar E, Aydogdu U. 2023. Determination of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus prevalence and risk factors in cats from Balıkesir. Turkish Society for Parasitology, 47(2): 78-82.
Yildiz K, Duru SY, Gokpinar S. 2011. Alteration in blood gases in cats naturally infected with Aelurostrongylus abstrusus. Journal of Small Animal Practice, 52 (7): 376-379.
Yildiz K, Gokpinar S. 2011. Scanning electron microscopic observation of cat lungs naturally infected with Aelurostrongylus abstrusus. Kafkas Universitesi Veteriner Fakultesi Dergisi, 17 (2): 315-318.
Zajac AM, Conboy GA. 2012. Fecal examination for the diagnosis of parasitism, in: Veterinary Clinical Parasitology. 8th Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. pp. 3-170.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 International Journal of Veterinary and Animal Research (IJVAR)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
