title: Retrospective study on the occurrence of the feline lungworms Aelurostrongylus abstrusus and Troglostrongylus spp. in endemic areas of Italy.
abstract: Aelurostrongylus abstrusus is a metastrongyloid nematode infesting the respiratory system of domestic cats worldwide. Troglostrongylus brevior and Troglostrongylus subcrenatus, two lungworms thought to infest wild felids, have been found recently in domestic cats from Spain and Italy. These unexpected findings have raised doubts about the assumed past and present occurrence of Troglostrongylus spp., especially T. brevior, in domestic hosts and suggest that there may have been missed detection or misdiagnosis. The present retrospective study evaluated the presence of lungworms in cats from Italy with a diagnosis of respiratory parasitism or with compatible lung lesions from 2002 to 2013. Sixty-eight samples of DNA and larvae from cats with a diagnosis of aelurostrongylosis, and 53 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded lung samples from cats confirmed as lungworm infested or with compatible lesions, were investigated using two DNA-based assays specific for A. abstrusus or T. brevior. All DNA and larval samples were positive for A. abstrusus and one was additionally positive for T. brevior. Most paraffin-embedded lung tissues were positive only for A. abstrusus, but two samples tested positive for both lungworms and one for T. brevior only. This study supports the major role of A. abstrusus in causing feline respiratory parasitism in endemic areas of Italy.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Cesare
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise, Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Francesco
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, University of Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Frangipane di Regalbono
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Regioni Lazio e Toscana, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Eleni
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Regioni Lazio e Toscana, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Liberato
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy; Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise, Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marruchella
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Iorio
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Malatesta
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Rita
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Romanucci
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bongiovanni
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, University of Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Rudi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cassini
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
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D002415:Cats; D060085:Coinfection / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D007814:Larva / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D008681:Metastrongyloidea / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016415:Sequence Alignment / Q000662:veterinary; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000662:veterinary; D017183:Strongylida / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017206:Strongylida Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D015801:Helminth Proteins
keywords: Aelurostrongylus abstrusus; Cat; Epidemiology; PCR; Troglostrongylus spp