title: Prevalence of filarial parasites in domestic and stray cats in Selangor State, Malaysia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of the filarial parasites,ie.,Brugia malayi, Brugia, Brugia pahangi(B. pahangi), Dirofilaria immitisandDirofilaria repens (D. repens) in domestic and stray cats.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 170 blood sample were collected from domestic and stray cats and examined for filarial worm parasites in two localities, Pulau Carey and Bukit Gasing, Selangor State, Malaysia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall prevalence of infection was 23.5% (40/170; 95% CI = 17.4-30.6). Of this, 35% (14/40; 95% CI = 22.1-50.5) and 50% (20/40; 95% CI = 35.2-64.8) were positive for single B. pahangi nd D. repens, respectively. The remaining of 15% (6/40; 95% CI = 7.1-29.1) were positive for mixed B. pahangi and D. repens. In addition, 75% of the infected cats were domestic, and 25% were strays. No Brugia malayi and Dirofilaria immitis was detected. Eighty-four cats were captured at Pulau Carey, of which 35.7% (30/84) were infected. Among the cats determined to be infected, 93% (28/30; 95% CI = 78.7-98.2) were domestic, and only 6.7% (2/30; 95% CI = 19.0-21.3) were strays. Conversely, the number of infected cats was three times lower in Bukit Gasing than in Pulau Carey, and most of the cats were stray.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  B. pahangi and D. repens could be the major parasites underlying filariasis in the study area. Adequate prophylactic plans should be administrated in the cat population in study area.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia. Electronic address: Nazehali78@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Nazeh M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Al-Abd
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Zurainee Mohamed
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Nor
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kassim
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Marzida
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mansor
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Abdulelah H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Al-Adhroey
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Romano
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ngui
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Sinnadurai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sivanandam
keywords: Brugia; Cat; Dirofilaria; Filarial parasites; Filariasis; Wuchereria