Felid Lungworms and Heartworms in Italy: More Questions than Answers?

Abstract

Nematodes infecting the cardiorespiratory system of cats have recently stimulated high scientific interest. Over the past few years, different aspects of these parasites have been clarified and various issues elucidated. This increased knowledge has improved awareness on this topic but, at the same time, some dilemmas have not been solved and new questions have been raised. In this review, we underline and discuss current knowledge of, and new doubts relating to, feline lungworms and heartworms, with the aim of stimulating new studies to fill gaps of basic (i.e., epidemiology and biology) and applied (i.e., clinical aspects) knowledge of the old and new parasites affecting the cardiorespiratory system of cats.

Keywords: Aelurostrongylus abstrusus; Angiostrongylus spp; Capillaria aerophila; Oslerus rostratus; Troglostrongylus spp; cat.