With the exception of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus, feline lungworms have been poorly studied. Information on their distribution is patchy and mostly limited to case reports. In this study, the occurrence of feline lungworms and co-infecting gastrointestinal parasites has been investigated in 12 European countries (i.e. Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom). An average of 10 domestic cats, with regular outdoor access, was sampled each month for 12months, and freshly passed faeces were collected. Stools were processed using a McMaster assay and a quantitative Baermann-Wetzel method. Animals positive for lungworms and/or gastrointestinal parasites were treated with a formulation containing fipronil, (S)-methoprene, eprinomectin, and praziquantel (Broadline®, Merial), and re-sampled 28days post-treatment. The association between lungworm infection and risk factors was analysed using statistical medians/means and the efficacy of the treatment against each lungworm species was assessed. Of 1990 cats sampled, 613 (30.8%) were positive for at least one parasite, while 210 (10.6%) were infected by lungworms. The prevalence of lungworm infection varied between the sampled sites, with the highest recorded in Bulgaria (35.8%) and the lowest in Switzerland (0.8%). None of the cats from Austria or the United Kingdom were infected by lungworms. Aelurostrongylus abstrusus was the species most frequently detected (78.1%), followed by Troglostrongylus brevior (19.5%), Eucoleus aerophilus (14.8%) and Oslerus rostratus (3.8%). The overall efficacy of the treatment was 99% for A. abstrusus and 100% for T. brevior, O. rostratus and E. aerophilus. Data presented provide a comprehensive account of the diagnosis, epidemiology and treatment of feline lungworms in Europe, as well as of the occurrence of co-infections by gastrointestinal parasites.

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A novel topical combination product (BROADLINE(®), Merial) composed of fipronil, (S)-methoprene, eprinomectin and praziquantel was evaluated for safety and efficacy against nematode and cestode infections in domestic cats. The study comprised a multi-centre, positive control, blinded, field study, using a randomized block design based on order of presentation for allocation. In total 196 client-owned cats, confirmed as positive for naturally acquired infections of nematodes and/or cestodes by pre-treatment faecal examination, were studied in seven countries in Europe. Pre-treatment faecal examination revealed the presence of Toxocara, hookworm, Capillaria and/or spirurid nematode infections in 129, 73, 33 or 1 cat(s), respectively; infections with taeniid and Dipylidium cestodes were demonstrated in 39 and 17 cats, respectively. Cats were allocated randomly to one of two treatments in a ratio of 2, topical fipronil (8.3%, w/v), (S)-methoprene (10%, w/v), eprinomectin (0.4%, w/v) and praziquantel (8.3%, w/v) (BROADLINE(®), Merial; 130 cats); and 1, topical PROFENDER(®) Spot-On (Bayer; 66 cats) and treated once on Day 0. For evaluation of efficacy, two faecal samples were collected, one prior to treatment (Day -4 ± 4 days) and one at the end of the study (Day 14 ± 5 days). These were examined for fecal forms of nematode and cestode parasites. For evaluation of safety, cats were examined by a veterinarian before treatment and at the end of the study, and cat owners recorded the health status of their cats daily until the end of the study. For cats treated with Broadline(®), the efficacy was >99.9%, 100%, and 99.6% for Toxocara, hookworms, and Capillaria, respectively; and the efficacy was >99.9%, >99.9%, and 98.5%, respectively, for the cats treated with Profender(®) (p<0.001 for all nematodes and both treatments). Efficacy was 100% for both cestodes for both treatments (p<0.001). No treatment related adverse experiences were observed throughout the study. For both treatments, every cat that completed the study was given a safety score of 'excellent' for both local and systemic evaluations. The topical combination product of fipronil, (S)-methoprene, eprinomectin and praziquantel was shown to have an excellent safety profile and demonstrated high levels of efficacy when administered once as topical solution to cats infected with nematodes and cestodes under field conditions.

Afoxolaner (AFX) plus milbemycin oxime (MO) combination chewable tablets (NexGard Spectra®, Merial) were evaluated for safety and efficacy against naturally acquired nematode infections in domestic dogs in a multi-centre, positive control, blinded field study using a randomized block design based on the order of presentation for allocation. In total, 408 dogs confirmed positive for naturally acquired infections of intestinal nematodes by pre-treatment faecal examination were studied in ten countries in Europe (Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Romania and Slovakia). Pre-treatment faecal examination revealed Toxocara, Toxascaris, hookworm, Trichuris and/or Capillaria nematode infections in 134, 30, 223, 155 and 14 dogs, respectively. Dogs were allocated to one of two treatment groups in a ratio of 1, AFX + MO chewables (≥2.5 mg AFX + ≥0.5 mg MO per kg body weight, according to dose bands; 207 dogs), and 1, MO plus praziquantel (PRZ) chewables (Milbemax®, Novartis; ≥0.5 mg MO + ≥5 mg PRZ per kg body weight, according to the manufacturer's instructions; 201 dogs) and treated once. For evaluation of efficacy based on reduction of faecal nematode egg counts, two faecal samples, one collected prior to treatment and one collected 9 to 21 days after treatment, were examined using modified McMaster techniques. For evaluation of systemic safety, dogs were examined by a veterinarian before treatment administration and at study end, and dog owners observed the health status of their dogs until the end of the study and reported any abnormal observation. For dogs treated with AFX + MO chewables, the efficacy was 99.7, 99.7, 97.2, 99.7 and 99.7 % for Toxocara, Toxascaris, hookworm, Trichuris and Capillaria, respectively; and the efficacy was 99.5, 99.4, 94.3, 99.9 and 98.0 %, respectively, for the MO + PRZ-treated dogs (p ≤ 0.002 for all nematodes and both treatments). For Toxocara, hookworm and Trichuris, non-inferiority analysis demonstrated that the efficacy of AFX + MO chewable tablets was equal to or better than that of MO + PRZ. In spite that both treatments were ≥98 % efficacious against Toxascaris and Capillaria, a hypothesis of non-inferiority for both genera could not be established due to the low number of dogs infected with these parasites. No treatment-related adverse experiences were observed throughout the study. For both treatments, all dogs were given a systemic safety score of 'excellent' apart from one dog in each treatment group which received a score of 'acceptable'. AFX + MO combination chewables were shown to be safe and demonstrated a high level of efficacy when administered once to dogs infected with a broad range of parasitic nematodes under field conditions.