New insight on metastrongyloid lungworms infecting cats of Sardinia, Italy

In addition to the well-known Aelurostrongylus abstrusus (Strongylida: Angiostrongylidae),
Troglostrongylus brevior (Strongylida: Crenosomatidae) has recently been diagnosed as a
causative agent of bronco-pulmonary infections of cats in Spain and Italy. However, information
concerning the impact of this species of lungworm on feline population is limited
to a few case reports. From July 2011 to May 2013 an epidemiological survey was carried
out on Sardinia island (Italy), where 107 individual faecal samples were examined by
Baermann technique, and first-stage larvae were identified based on their morphology and
characterization of molecular markers. The 29.9% (32/107) of cats examined were infested
by broncho-pulmonary nematodes and, although A. abstrusus was the most frequently
detected (n = 27; 25.2%), larvae of T. brevior were also found (n = 7; 6.5%). In addition, two
cats (1.9%) were co-infested by both species. Overall metastrongyloid infection was higher
in female cats (n = 22; 38.6%) than in males (n = 10; 20%) (2 = 4.39; p = 0.036). The mean age
of positive animals was 21.1 (±29.8) months, being infected animals from 2 months to 10
years of age. Of the 32 animals that scored positive for lungworms only 6 (18.8%) displayed
a respiratory condition associated with lungworm infestations. Biomolecular characterization
confirmed the morphological diagnosis of A. abstrusus. Positive samples that were
identified at genus level as Troglostrongylus spp. were molecularly characterized as T. brevior.
This study represents the first epidemiological survey on metastrongyloid lungworms
of domestic cats in Sardinia and the first report of T. brevior on this island.