title: [Prevalence of intestinal helminths in cats in Quindío, Colombia].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diseases caused by helminths are widely distributed in the world and many of them are considered zoonoses in which pets play a major role in transmission to humans.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The prevalence of intestinal helminths was determined in cats in Quindío Province.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred twenty-one cats were characterized --data recorded included sex, age and body condition. Fecal samples were collected and processed using the modified Ritchie and modified Kato-Katz techniques to determine the presence of intestinal helminths.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 121 cats, 42.1%, (95% CI: 33.4-50.9) and 45.5% (95% CI: 36.6-54.3) were parasitized with at least one adult helminth species as evidenced by the presence of eggs in their fecal samples. Toxocara cati was the most prevalent parasite (Ritchie: 37.2%, Kato-Katz: 43%), followed by Ancylostoma spp. (Ritchie: 7.4%, Kato-Katz: 5.8%) and Aelurostrongylus abstrusus (Ritchie: 0.82%). Sixty-five cats (53.7%) were females and 56 (46.3%) males; the prevalence of infection was similar in both sexes. Cats older than 4 years had the highest prevalence (81.8%) followed by those aged 1 to 4 years (48.8%) and by those under 1 year (28.6%). The majority of cats, 77.7%, were found to be in good body condition and this group had the lowest frequency of intestinal helminths with both techniques.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of intestinal helminths in domestic cats in Quindío was 43.8%; it is necessary to establish surveillance and prevention programs in the human and feline populations.
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Inmunología Molecular, Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Facultad Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad del Quindío, Armenia, Colombia.
authors.forename: Diana Marcela
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Echeverry
authors.forename: María Isabel
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Giraldo
authors.forename: Jhon Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Castaño
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000724:Ancylostomiasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D002415:Cats / Q000469:parasitology; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006374:Helminthiasis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D008681:Metastrongyloidea / Q000302:isolation & purification; D057805:Pets / Q000469:parasitology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012494:Sampling Studies; D017206:Strongylida Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D014120:Toxocariasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology