title: Feline thelaziosis caused by Thelazia callipaeda in Portugal.
abstract: Thelazia callipaeda (Spirurida, Thelaziidae) is a nematode that lives in the conjunctival sac of domestic and wild carnivores, rabbits and humans causing mild to severe symptoms (e.g., conjunctivitis, lacrimation, epiphora, blepharospasm, keratitis and even corneal ulceration) in infected animals. This report describes an autochthonous case of thelaziosis in a cat from the central region of Portugal, representing the most occidental record of thelaziosis in Europe. Adult nematodes recovered from alive animal were morphological identified as T. callipaeda. A portion of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (cox 1) from nematode specimens was amplified by PCR. Cox1 sequences of all specimens were identical to T. callipaeda haplotype 1. Additionally to these findings, a recent description of thelaziosis in the northern region of Portugal suggests that T. callipaeda has successfully established in Portugal.
authors.affiliation: Escola Universitária Vasco da Gama, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.forename: Sérgio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ramalho Sousa
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Anastácio
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goreti Matias
authors.forename: Inês
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Marquês
authors.forename: Salvador
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mascarenhas
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: João Vieira
authors.forename: Luís Madeira
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: de Carvalho
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Otranto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D002415:Cats; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D007559:Ivermectin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D011174:Portugal / Q000453:epidemiology; D017205:Spirurida Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013802:Thelazioidea
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics; D007559:Ivermectin; C084101:doramectin
keywords: Cats; Europe; Portugal; Thelazia callipaeda