Fatal aelurostrongylosis in a kitten in Serbia

Abstract

This paper describes a case of aelurostrongylosis in a four-month old female domestic cat (Felis catus) from South Banat, Serbia. The kitten that had died suddenly without signs of illness was autopsied in the Veterinary Specialised Institute "Pančevo". The macroscopic finding was typical of granulomatous pneumonia and subsequently, histopathology revealed verminous pneumonia. Based on the parasite morphology, it was confirmed that the lung lesions were caused by Aelurostrongylus abstrusus. The present finding contributes to the knowledge of the prevalence of this underestimated parasite in the Balkan Peninsula.

Molecular Survey of Metastrongyloid Lungworms in Domestic Cats (Felis silvestris catus) from Romania: A Retrospective Study (2008–2011)

“…Lungworms are recognized as important etiological agents in the pathology of the respiratory system in domestic cats and considered as emerging parasites in Europe [18,19]. Infection with lungworms in kittens can be fatal [4,5,[20][21][22] while in elder cats, most cases are asymptomatic. However, infected animals are of great importance in maintaining the parasite in a certain territory.…”

A Molecular Survey on Neglected Gurltia paralysans and Aelurostrongylus abstrusus Infections in Domestic Cats (Felis catus) from Southern Chile

“…In Colombia, studies have estimated a prevalence of 0.21% (1/121) in the Quindío, and 0.4% (2/473) in Antioquia [ 28 ]. In line with these findings, feline aelurostrongylosis has been diagnosed throughout Europe, including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Albania, Croatia, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Denmark, England, Rumania, Austria, and Belgium, with prevalence rates between 0.3% and 50% depending on the region, lifestyle, and diagnostic methods (e.g., coprological, serological, or molecular methods) [ 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 ]. In the USA, prevalence rates of 2.07% in a retrospective study, 6.2% in New York, and 18.5% in Alabama have been reported in shelter and stray cats [ 56 , 57 , 58 ].…”

Controlled field study evaluating the clinical efficacy of a topical formulation containing emodepside and praziquantel in the treatment of natural cat aelurostrongylosis

“…Also, auscultation of the thorax usually reveals increased vesicular breath sounds, wheezing or crackles 12. Severe infections, especially in kittens and immunocompromised cats, can cause more serious clinical signs, including severe dyspnoea and occasionally death 13 14…”

“… 12 Severe infections, especially in kittens and immunocompromised cats, can cause more serious clinical signs, including severe dyspnoea and occasionally death. 13 14 …”