First report of Troglostrongylus brevior in a kitten in Greece

Parasitol Res. 2014 Oct;113(10):3895-8. doi: 10.1007/s00436-014-4122-3. Epub 2014 Sep 7.

Abstract

The first case of a natural infestation with Troglostrongylus brevior in a kitten in Greece is described here. A ∼40-day-old stray cat was referred to a private veterinary clinic with signs of respiratory distress. First stage larvae of a metastrongyloid nematode were observed in the wet mount faecal preparation. Despite an anthelmintic treatment, the respiratory signs worsened and the kitten died 2 days later. The larvae in the faeces were identified morphologically and genetically as T. brevior. The present evidence suggests a vertical or direct infestation of the kitten and a severe pathogenic role of T. brevior in young cats. This report expands the recent published cases of troglostrongylosis in domestic cats to a wider geographical distribution and opens new questions on the apparent spreading of T. brevior from wild to domestic hosts.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cat Diseases / parasitology*
  • Cats
  • Feces / parasitology
  • Female
  • Greece
  • Larva / anatomy & histology
  • Metastrongyloidea / anatomy & histology
  • Metastrongyloidea / classification
  • Metastrongyloidea / isolation & purification*
  • Strongylida Infections / parasitology
  • Strongylida Infections / veterinary*