Abu-Madi M A, Al-Ahbabi D A, Al-Mashhadani M M, Al-Ibrahim R, Pal P, Lewis J W
Department of Health Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, PO Box 2713, Doha, Qatar.
J Helminthol. 2007 Sep;81(3):281-6. doi: 10.1017/S0022149X07818505.
The 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 stercoralis as the most prevalent (18.4%), followed by Aelurostrongylus abstrusus (7.5%), Toxocara cati (6.1%), Ancylostoma tubaeforme (5.9%) and Physaloptera sp. (4.8%) and Toxascaris 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 of A. abstrusus and A. 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.
首次从卡塔尔半岛的干旱环境中描述了流浪猫群体的寄生虫区系，其主要由蠕虫寄生虫组成。在2005年的冬季和夏季，对卡塔尔六个地点的824份粪便样本进行了检查。共鉴定出多达七种寄生虫，其中六种是线虫——粪类圆线虫最为常见（18.4%），其次是猫圆线虫（7.5%）、猫弓首蛔虫（6.1%）、管状钩口线虫（5.9%）、泡翼线虫属（4.8%）和狮弓蛔虫（0.7%）——以及一种孢子虫，即猫等孢球虫（0.5%）。在10.7%的检测样本中还发现了未鉴定的绦虫卵。发现所有地点粪便样本中的寄生虫种类高度聚集，而感染率和感染强度受地点和季节影响。冬季感染水平往往较高，特别是猫圆线虫和管状钩口线虫，与酷热干燥的夏季相比，此时的温度和湿度条件更有利于寄生虫卵和/或幼虫阶段的发育。结合多哈及其郊区附近猫群的分布情况以及寄生虫传播给卡塔尔人类社区的潜在威胁对结果进行了讨论。
