engleski

Parasites in gastrointestinal system of wild cats in Croatia

Reports on the parasitic fauna of wild cats (Felis silvestris) are rare and often based on a small sample size. Our goal was to investigate the prevalence of parasites associated to gastrointestinal tract in wild cats in Croatia. Necropsy was conducted on 22 adult wild cats, killed in traffic or hunting. All animals were tested negative for rabies. Content of the stomach and intestine was examined under microscope. Feces from the rectum were analyzed using flotation in saturated ZnSO4 solution (S.G.1.8) while diaphragm was examined using artificial digestion. Direct immunoflorescence was used to detect Giardia spp. cysts. All animals were infected with at least one species of parasites (four cats were infected with only one species), while the most diverse infestation included six different species of parasites in a single cat. The following parasite species were found (% of prevalence of adult parasites and their developmental stages in all analyzed samples): Capillaria spp. (59.1%), Taenia taeniaeformis (54.5%), Toxocara cati (54.5%), Strongyloides spp. (31.8%), Isospora spp. (31.8%), Physaloptera spp. (18.2%), Giardia spp. (18.2%), Aelurostrongylus abstrusus (9.1%), Hymenolepis spp. (9.1%), Trichinela spp. (9.1%), Alaria alata (4.5%), Dipylidium caninum (4.5%), Anoplocephala spp. (4.5%), Eimeria spp. (4.5%) and Trichuris spp. (4.5%). Eimeria spp. oocists, Anoplocephala spp. and Hymenolepis spp. eggs came from the prey eaten by the cat. Capillaria spp. is a frequent parasite of birds, suggesting that finding of their eggs in wild cat’s intestine are probably result of cat’s preying upon birds. This is a first description of Physaloptera spp. in wild cats in Croatia.

parasites; GI system; wildcat; Croatia

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