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Cat Parasitology Flashcards

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1
Q

What’s the estimation of “community cats” in the US? What about pet cats? What’s the global estimation?

A
  • 30-40 million community cats
  • +95.6 million pet cats
  • 700 million global estimate
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2
Q

What kind of parasites are common?

A

1) Gastrointestinal (GI) parasites
- helminths (worms) or protozoans
2) Arthropod parasites
- fleas, ticks, mites

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3
Q

What’s the common name for toxocara cati?

A

“Ascarid” or “Roundworm”

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4
Q

Tell me general knowledge about Toxocara cati.

A
  • Ascarid/Roundworm of cats located in the small intestine
  • Adults are considered medium-sizes worms
    (females = up to 10 cm, males - up to 7 cm)
  • Eggs are large, thick shell, and pitted
  • They can sustain themselves in the environment for a while, which becomes advantageous
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5
Q

What is a prepatant period?

A

From the time that the infective stage enters a host to the point where that infective stage has developed to a mature adult and you’re now seeing the eggs/larvae/oocytes

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6
Q

What’s the life cycle of Toxocara cati?

A
  • Direct transmission = ingest larvated eggs
    - Tracheal migration (cats ingest larvated eggs)
  • larva hatches from egg in duodenum
  • then, they penetrate the intestine - liver/lung migration
  • they then return to the trachea - coughed up/swallowed - stomach
  • they then go to the small intestine and mature to an adult
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7
Q

What’s the prepatent period of Toxocara cati?

A

Approx. 8 weeks

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8
Q

In Toxocara cati, what plays an important role in infection?

A

Paratenic hosts (often some type of rodent)!

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9
Q

What does CAPC stand for?

A

Companion Animal Parasite Council

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10
Q

Tell me the general knowledge of Toxocara cati regarding disease.

A

1) Moderate infections in kittens
- pot-bellied appearance
- general failure to thrive
- many asymptomatic
2) Case reports indicate varied signs, such as anorexia, vomiting, and gastric ulcers
3) Larval migrations can cause lesions in associated organs

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11
Q

How do you diagnose Toxocara cati?

A

Fecal flotation, fecal antigen, adults. Also found in vomits or fecal.

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12
Q

How do you treat and prevent toxocara cati?

A

1) Kittens do not need to be treated until 6 weeks and can begin treatment at 2 weeks
2) Preventing hunting will limit infection via paratenic hosts
3) Pick up/remove feces to eliminate eggs
4) Routine, annual fecal exams

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13
Q

Is Toxocara cati zoonotic or no?

A

Yes, zoonotic. Humans are paratenic hosts

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14
Q

What’s the common name for Anycylostoma tubaeformae?

A

Hookworms

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15
Q

Tell me general knowledge about Anycylostoma tubaeformae.

A
  • Located in the small intestine of cats
  • Medium-sized nematodes; up to 12 mm and may be red in color
  • Known as “bloodfeeders”
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16
Q

What are some other hookworms in cats? What are their characteristics in teeth?

A

1) Ancylostoma tubaeformae
- 3 pairs of teeth
2) Ancylostoma braziliense
- 2 pairs of teeth
- more common in FL

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17
Q

What kind of areas do Anycylostoma tubaeformae do better in?

A

Areas with warmer temperatures and humidity

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18
Q

Tell me about the Anycylostoma tubaeformae’s life cycle.

A

L3 larva infective stage - develops from a hatched egg
1) Oral infection (ingested)
- prepatant period = 18-28 days
2) Skin penetration
- prepatant period = 19-25 days
3) Paratenic host

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19
Q

How do you diagnose Anycylostoma spp?

A

1) Fecal flotations
2) Fecal antigen (adults only)
3) Adult worms

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20
Q

How do you control and treat Anycylostoma caninum?

A

1) Break the lifecycle by keeping enclosed environments dry and clean and picking up feces daily
2) Kittens are typically treated 2,4,6 and 8 weeks
3) Prevent predation and scavenging

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21
Q

Is Anycylostoma tubaeformae zoonotic?

A

Yes

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22
Q

What parasite will induce vomiting in order to make it to the next host?

A

Ollulanus tricuspis (stomach worm)

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23
Q

Tell me the general knowledge about Ollulanus tricuspis.

A

1) Stomach worm of cats
2) Stomach of cats, foxes, and pigs (rarely dogs)
3) Direct lifecycle
4) Adults are very small
5) Eggs hatch in female, L3 released

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24
Q

What’s the prepatant period of Ollulanus tricuspis?

A

33-37 days

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25
What are the clinical signs of Ollulanus tricuspis?
Vomiting, chronic gastritis, weight loss, and anorexia
26
How would you diagnose Ollulanus tricuspis?
1) L3, L4 or adults in vomitus 2) Baermann method 3) Stomach irrigation
27
What's the common name for Aelurostrongylus abstrusus?
Lungworms
28
Tell me the general knowledge of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus.
1) Reliant upon snails/mollusks to get into cat and usually uses paratenic hosts 2) Adults are filamentous 3) Eggs are ellipsoid, in lungs, and larvated 4) They have a kinky tail with a dorsal spine
29
How do you diagnose Aelurostrongylus abstrusus?
1) Baermann 2) Direct smear, sedimentation, or flotation 3) May need multiple samples
30
What are the risk factors and susceptibility of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus?
- Can infect all ages - Keep cats indoors and do not allow them to hunt (the only way to avoid infection)
31
How do you treat and prevent Aelurostrongylus abstrusus?
1) No drugs labeled for treatment - all off-label or experimental 2) Don't allow cats to hunt 3) Fecal exams, BAL, and radiographs are important
32
True or False: Diagnosis can be different among eggs vs larva in other lungworms in cats.
True
33
What's the common name for Dirofilaria immitis?
Heartworm
34
What is HARD?
- HARD = Heartworm-Associated Respiratory Disease - It is a vascular and airway disease caused by the early death of immature heartworms in cats.
35
What are the stages of HARD?
Stage 1 = immature adults in pulmonary arteries Stage 2 = worms dying
36
How are heartworms transmitted?
By mosquitos
37
What are some feline heartworm clinical signs?
- Cough - Sudden death - Neurological - Vomiting - Labored breathing
38
How can you diagnose Dirofilaria immitis?
It's difficult to diagnose, but you could use ag tests, ab tests, eosinophilia, or microfilariae
39
What does positive Ag (antigen) mean when testing for heartworms?
Current heartworm infection or recently cleared from infection
40
What does negative Ag mean when testing for heartworms?
No heartworms present, pre-patent infection, or possible low numbers of worms. Use heat treatment if you suspect worms.
41
What does positive Ab (antibody) mean when testing for heartworms?
Current heartworm infection (larvae or adult) or previous expose to heartworm
42
What does negative Ab mean when testing for heartworms?
No exposure to heartworms or early infection
43
Is there a cure for heartworm?
No cure and an unpredictable outcome!
44
Do cats having an indoor lifestyle protect them from heartworms?
NO!
45
What's the common name for Platynosomum fastosum?
Lizard poisoning fluke
46
Tell me general knowledge of Platynosomum fastosum.
- Located in bile ducts of cats & common in FL - Adults are small - Eggs are operculated - Intermediate hosts include terrestrial snails, toads, geckos, skinks, and pill bugs
47
Tell me about the disease of Platynosomum.
- Normally no severe disease - Chronic - biliary hyperplasia, liver failure - "Lizard Poisoning"
48
True or False: Platynosomum's typical patient are young cats
True
49
How do you diagnose, control, and treat Platynosomum?
- Diagnose by fecal sedimentation or necropsy - Control predation - There is no approved treatment and only experimental
50
What's the common name for Spirometra mansonoides?
Zipper tapeworms
51
Tell me general knowledge about Spirometra mansonoides.
- Zoonotic - Located in small intestine - Intermediate hosts are copepod, frogs, snakes, and lizards
52
What's the prepatant period of Spirometra mansonoides?
7-14 days
53
How do you diagnose and control Spirometra mansonoides?
- Diagnose by fecal flotation - Control by preventing predation. As for zoonosis, avoid eating raw/undercooked meat - Treatment can be difficult
54
Tell me general knowledge about Toxoplasma gondii.
- Obligate and intracellular parasite - Intermediate hosts are most mammals and birds - Definitive hosts are members of the felidae family - Transmission is acquired by consumption of raw/undercooked meat and ingesting infective oocysts
55
How do you diagnose toxoplasma gondii?
- Fecal flotation - Histological exam but can be difficult - PCR - Necropsy
56
How do you control Toxoplasma gondii in cats, humans, and other hosts?
- In cats: do not feed raw meat and keep cats indoors to prevent hunting - In humans: cook meat thoroughly, change litter box daily, and wear gloves while gardening - In other intermediate hosts: remove dead animals or aborted fetuses to avoid cannibalism and limit cat access to avoid water/food contamination with oocysts
57
Tell me general knowledge about Cytauxzoon felis.
- Transmitted by ticks - Emerging infectious disease in N. America - Hosts are domestic cats, and ticks are dermacentor variabilis and amblyomma americanum. Reservoir hosts are N. American bobcats
58
Where and when are Cytauxzoon felis found?
- Usually found in feral/farm cats - Most often found in the summer
59
What phase is considered the most destructive in Cytauxzoon felis?
Schizogenous phase
60
How do you diagnose and control Cytauxzoon felis?
- Diagnose by Giemsa-stained blood smears - Controlled by keeping cats indoors, tick control, and promptly removing ticks - Treatment involves supportive care, experimental, and guarded prognosis
61
What are the two types of mites infesting cats?
1) Demodex spp. 2) Notoedres cati
62
What are the characteristics of Demodex spp?
- Alligator-shaped - Infests hair follicles and adjacent sebaceous glands
63
What are the characteristics of Notoedres cati?
- Infests rabbits and is ZOONOTIC - Located mainly on the ears and the back of the neck in cats - Circular-shaped
64
Where is demodectic acariasis localized in cats?
- Scaling around face, neck, eyelids - Hyperpigmentation - Hair loss
65
What are the clinical signs of notoedric acariasis in cats?
- Epidermal flakes - Yellow crusts (face/neck)
66
How do you control and prevent Notoedric Acariasis?
- Proper sanitation by cleaning litter boxes and removing feces - Avoid crowded conditions - Avoid raw meat diets and do not allow cats to hunt - Control arthropod infestations (fleas, ticks, mites)

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