Zoonotic Intestinal Trematodes in Stray Cats (Felis catus) from Riverside Areas of the Republic of Korea.
The present study was performed to survey the infection status of zoonotic intestinal trematode (ZIT) in stray cats from 5 major riverside areas in the Republic of Korea. Total 400 stray cats were captured with live-traps in riverside areas of Seomjingang ('gang' means river) (203 cats) from June to October 2010, and of Yeongsangang (41), Nakdonggang (57), Geumgang (38), and Hangang (61 cats) from June to October 2011, respectively. Small intestines resected from cats were opened with a pair of scissors in a beaker with 0.85% saline and examined with naked eyes and under a stereomicroscope. More than 16 ZIT species were detected in 188 (92.6%) cats from Seomjingang areas, and the number of worms recovered was 111 per cat infected. In cats from riverside areas of Yeongsangang, Nakdonggang, Geumgang, and Hangang, more than 9, 8, 3, and 5 ZIT species were recovered, and the worm burdens were 13, 42, 11, and 56 specimens per infected cat, respectively. As the members of family Heterophyidae, more than 10 species, i.e., Metagonimus spp., Pygidiopsis summa, Heterophyes nocens, Stellantchasmus falcatus, Heterophyopsis continua, Acanthotrema felis, Centrocestus armatus, Procerovum varium, Cryptocotyle concava, and Stictodora lari, were recovered. More than 5 species of echinostomes, i.e., Echinostoma hortense, Echinochasmus japonicus, Echinochasmus sp., Echinoparyphium sp., and unidentified larval echinostomes, were collected. Plagiorchis spp. were detected in cats from areas of Seomjin-gang and Yeongsangang. From the above results, it has been confirmed that stray cats in 5 major riverside areas of Korea are highly infected with various species of ZITs.
Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757, Korea.
Sung-Shik
SS
Shin
Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757, Korea.
Dae-Sung
DS
Oh
Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757, Korea.
Kyu-Sung
KS
Ahn
Division of Malaria and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Osong 363-951, Korea.
Shin-Hyeong
SH
Cho
Division of Malaria and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Osong 363-951, Korea.
Won-Ja
WJ
Lee
Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, and Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju 660-751, Korea.
Byoung-Kuk
BK
Na
Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, and Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju 660-751, Korea.
Woon-Mok
WM
Sohn
D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D002415:Cats; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D014200:Trematoda / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014201:Trematode Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*
Heterophyes nocens; Korea; Metagonimus spp.; Pygidiopsis summa; Stellantchasmus falcatus; riverside area; stray cat; zoonotic intestinal trematode