title: Frequency of gastrointestinal parasites in cats seen at the University of São Paulo Veterinary Hospital, Brazil.
abstract: The frequency of gastrointestinal infections in 502 cats seen at the Veterinary Hospital of the University of São Paulo, SP, Brazil, between 2005 and 2014, was measured. The samples were analyzed using methods of flotation and sedimentation. The results were compared with those from studies published previously using fecal samples from the same hospital at different times. Associations between the frequency of positivity for each parasite and age, breed, sex, diarrhea and use of anthelmintic were investigated (chi-square or Fisher's exact tests). A partitioned chi-square test was used to compare different periods. Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia spp., Cystoisospora spp. and Sarcocystis spp. were the most common parasites, followed by Toxocara cati and Ancylostoma spp. Cryptosporidium spp. presented higher frequency in young cats and Sarcocystis spp. with the presence of diarrhea (p < 0.05). Results from this study with previous periods showed that the frequencies of Cryptosporidium spp., Cystoisospora spp. and T. cati were lower (p < 0.05) than those observed in previous periods. The frequencies of Giardia spp. and Ancylostoma spp. were similar to the results found in the preceding period and lower than the values found for the other periods (p < 0.05). The reasons for these changes should be investigated.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Solange Maria
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Gennari
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Juliana Isabel Giuli da Silva
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Hilda Fátima de Jesus
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Pena
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Marcelo Bahia
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Labruna
authors.affiliation: Unidade Acadêmica de Medicina Veterinária, Centro de Saúde e Tecnologia Rural, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande - UFCG, Patos, PB, Brasil.
authors.forename: Sérgio Dos Santos
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Azevedo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D002415:Cats; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology*; D006762:Hospitals, Animal; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D015995:Prevalence