title: Gross and histopathological changes associated with Aelurostrongylus abstrusus and Troglostrongylus brevior in a kitten.
abstract: Aelurostrongylus abstrusus affects the respiratory system of domestic cats worldwide, causing different clinical signs. Recently, Troglostrongylus brevior, a parasite found only in feral and wild animals until 2010, has been regarded as a cause of potentially severe bronchopneumonia in domestic cats. The life cycle of both nematodes involves the same intermediate (i.e. land mollusks) and paratenic hosts (i.e. lizards, birds and small mammals). Biological and epidemiological drivers may cause the spreading of A. abstrusus along with a possible emergence of T. brevior from marginal areas and limited hosts. Given the merit in increasing knowledge on these potentially emerging nematodes, the present paper describes clinical features and the first post mortem gross and histopathological observations in a case of mixed infection by A. abstrusus and T. brevior in a kitten.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy. Electronic address: dtraversa@unite.it.
authors.forename: Donato
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Traversa
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Mariarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Romanucci
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Cesare
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Malatesta
authors.affiliation: Department MAPS, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Rudi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cassini
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Iorio
authors.affiliation: Ambulatorio Veterinario Riviera, Grottammare, Italy.
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seghetti
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Della Salda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*; D002415:Cats; D060085:Coinfection; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D008681:Metastrongyloidea / Q000502:physiology*; D017206:Strongylida Infections / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*
keywords: Aelurostrongylus abstrusus; Anatomo-histopathology; Cat; Diagnosis; PCR; Troglostrongylus brevior