Third Pole Conservancy, Bhaktapur, Nepal.
Nepalese Army Institute of Health Sciences (NAIHS), Kathmandu, Nepal.
Vet Med Sci. 2023 Mar;9(2):559-571. doi: 10.1002/vms3.999. Epub 2022 Nov 8.
Cats (Felis catus) are the only felines that live in close contact with humans. Since cats can act as vectors, carriers, reservoirs and definitive hosts of many gastrointestinal (GI) parasites, parasitic assessment could contribute to their survival and well-being.
The current study aimed to assess the diversity and prevalence of GI parasites in domestic and feral cats from Ratnanagar in Chitwan in Central Nepal.
A total of 107 fresh faecal samples of cats (90 household cats and 17 feral cats) of varied ages and sex were collected and transported to the laboratory. The copromicroscopic examination was carried out following direct wet mount, formalin-ethyl acetate sedimentation, saturated salt flotation, acid-fast staining and sporulation techniques. Furthermore, associated risk factors were evaluated to ascertain the predictor of risks for parasitic acquisition.
The current study revealed an overall 95.3% prevalence rate with a 100% rate in feral cats and 94.4% in household cats. Altogether, 18 (17 known and one unknown) different species of GI parasites were reported with the helminths (95.3%; 11 species) and the protozoa (55.1%; seven species). Besides age and sex, outdoor lifestyle, absence or unknown history of medication and hunting behaviour of the felines are the predictors of risk. Furthermore, mixed infection was comparatively higher than single infection in the faecal samples.
Cats harbour a higher prevalence and greater diversity of GI parasites, and parasitism varies with age and sex. This finding can be essential for veterinarians and public health authorities for strategic treatment and for assessing the zoonotic transmission of the parasites from these felines. Importantly, an effective medication strategy for cats and owners is recommended.
猫（Felis catus）是唯一与人类密切接触的猫科动物。由于猫可以作为许多胃肠道（GI）寄生虫的载体、携带者、储存宿主和终末宿主，寄生虫评估可以有助于它们的生存和健康。
本研究旨在评估来自尼泊尔中部奇特旺的拉特纳加尔的家猫和流浪猫的 GI 寄生虫的多样性和流行率。
共采集了 107 份不同年龄和性别的猫（90 只家猫和 17 只流浪猫）的新鲜粪便样本，并运送到实验室。采用直接湿载片、福尔马林-乙酸乙酯沉淀、饱和盐水浮选、抗酸染色和孢子化技术进行粪便镜检。此外，评估了相关风险因素，以确定寄生虫感染的预测因素。
本研究显示总体流行率为 95.3%，流浪猫为 100%，家猫为 94.4%。总共报告了 18 种（17 种已知和 1 种未知）不同种类的 GI 寄生虫，包括蠕虫（95.3%；11 种）和原生动物（55.1%；7 种）。除了年龄和性别，猫的户外生活方式、缺乏或未知的用药史以及狩猎行为是风险预测因素。此外，粪便样本中的混合感染率高于单一感染率。
猫携带更高的 GI 寄生虫流行率和更高的多样性，寄生虫感染随年龄和性别而异。这一发现对于兽医和公共卫生当局制定战略治疗方案以及评估这些猫从寄生虫向人类的人畜共患病传播至关重要。重要的是，建议为猫和主人制定有效的药物治疗策略。
