IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Dimzas, D.; Morelli, S.; Traversa, D.; di Cesare, A.; Van Bourgonie, Y.R.; Breugelmans, K.; Backeljau, T.; di Regalbono, A.F.; Diakou, A. | |
| Intermediate gastropod hosts of major feline cardiopulmonary nematodes in an area of wildcat and domestic cat sympatry in Greece | |
| 2020 Parasites & Vectors (13): 345 | |
The metastrongyloid nematodes _Aelurostrongylus abstrusus_, _Troglostrongylus brevior_ and _Angiostrongylus chabaudi_ are cardiopulmonary parasites affecting domestic cats (_Felis catus_) and wildcats (_Felis silvestris_). Although knowledge on these nematodes has been improved in the past years, gaps in our knowledge of their distribution and role of gastropods as intermediate hosts in Europe still exist. This study reports on the presence of these nematodes and their intermediate hosts in an area in Greece where domestic cats and wildcats occur in sympatry. Terrestrial gastropods were collected in the field and identified morphologically and by mitochondrial DNA-sequence analysis. Metastrongyloid larvae were detected by artificial digestion, morphologically identified to the species and stage level and their identity was molecularly confirmed. _Aelurostrongylus abstrusus_ was found in the snails _Massylaea vermiculata_ and _Helix lucorum_, _T. brevior_ in the slug _Tandonia_ sp., and _A. chabaudi_ in the slug _Limax_ sp. and the snails _H. lucorum_ and _M. vermiculata_. To the best of our knowledge this study provides the first reports of (i) terrestrial gastropods being naturally infected with _A. chabaudi_, (ii) _T. brevior_ naturally infecting terrestrial gastropods in Europe, and (iii) _A. abstrusus_ naturally infecting terrestrial gastropods in Greece. Furthermore, the present study describes for the first time developmental stages of _A. chabaudi_ and _T. brevior_ in naturally infected gastropods. The biological characteristics of various intermediate gastropod hosts that could influence the distribution and expansion of feline cardiopulmonary nematodes are discussed, along with epizootiological implications and perspectives. |
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