The term parasitism may be defined as a two-species association in which one species, the parasite, lives on or in a second species, the host, for a significant period of its life and obtains nourishment from it. However, there are members of the scientific community who designate all infectious agents of animals as parasites including viruses, protozoa, bacteria and fungi as well as the arthropods, helminths and protozoa. In this forum, we maintain the edict that parasites are those which rely on cats as an essential aspect of their life cycle.

Uncinaria stenocephala hookworm eggs found in cat feces

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The common flea tapeworm of cats, Dipylidium caninum

 

 

 

 

 

Post-mortem specimen from a cat which died suddenly from D. immitis infection[1]

 

 

 

Flea allergy dermatitis in a Domestic shorthair cat due to infestation with Ctenocephalides felis[2]

 

 

 

 

 

Adult Heterodoxus spiniger

 

 

 

 

 

Adult Gnathostoma spinigerum nematode

 

 

 

 

Giardia spp parasite, a common cause of diarrhoea in cats

 

 

 

 

 

Tritrichomonas foetus isolates from a cat

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Skin

Insects

– Mosquitoes

– Flies – Oestrus ovis, Cuterebra spp, Cochliomyia spp, Chrysomyia spp, Triatoma spp , Cordylobia anthropophaga, Wohlfahrtia vigil, Dermatobia hominis

– Fleas – Ctenocephalides felis, Ctenocephalides canis, Echidnophaga gallinacea, Pulex irritans, Xenopsylla astia, Synosternus pallidus

Arachnids

Ticks – Ixodes holocyclus, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Ornithodoros talaje, Otobius megnini, Dermacentor spp, Amblyomma spp

Mites – Demodex spp, Eutrombicula alfreddugesi, Neotrombicula autumnalis, Notoedres spp, Otodectes spp, Cheyletiella spp, Lynxacarus radovskyi, Sarcoptes spp, Helenicula miyagawai^[3], Hexidionis garfieldi^[4], Dermanyssus spp

Lice – Felicola subrostratus, Heterodoxus spiniger

Nematodes – Rhabditis strongyloides, Strongyloides spp, Ancylostoma spp, Anatrichosoma spp, Lagochilascaris spp

Ear

Syngamus (Mammomonogamus) auris

Eye

Thelazia spp

Blood

Nematodes – Dirofilaria immitis, Brugia malayi, Brugia pahangi, Dipetalonema reconditum

Haemoplasmas – Cytauxzoon felis, Babesia spp, Mycoplasma spp, Leishmania spp, Trypanosoma spp

Hepatozoon spp, Rickettsia spp, Bartonella spp, Ehrlichia spp, Theileria spp

Trematodes – Schistosoma spp, Heterobilharzia spp, Ornithobilharzia spp

Brain

Toxocara cati, Dirofilaria spp, Toxoplasma spp

Cuterebra spp

Spine

Gurltia paralysans

Lungs

Capillaria aerophilia, Eucoleus aerophilus, Oslerus rostratus, Bronchostrongylus sucrenatus

Aelurostrongylus abstrusus, Paragonimus spp, Troglostrongylus subcrenatus, Strongyloides stercoralis, Crenosoma spp. Vogeloides spp

Liver

Parametorchius complexus, Platynosomum spp, Opisthorchis felineus, Clonorchis sinensis

Eurytrema procyonis, Eurytrema pancreaticum, Mammomonogamus spp, Euparadistomum spp

Amphimerus spp, Opisthorchis spp, Paropisthorchis spp, Metorchis spp

Urinary bladder

Pearsonema spp, Rhabditis strongyloides

Interstitium (Tissue)

Nematodes – Dipetalonema reconditum, Bronchostrongylus sucrenatus, Cuterebra spp, Trichinella spiralis

Dirofilaria repens, Mammomonogamus spp, Physaloptera spp

Trematodes – Parametorchius complexus, Platynosomum spp, Eurytrema procyonis

Protozoa – Hepatozoon spp, Neospora spp, Cytauxzoon felis

Muscle

Trichinella spiralis

Mouth

Protozoa – Tetratrichomonas felistomae

Nematodes – Lagochilascaris spp

Trematodes – Clinostomum spp

Stomach

Ollulanus tricuspis, Physaloptera spp, Spirocerca lupi, Aonchotheca putorii, Cyathospirura spp, Cylicospirura felineus^[5], Abbreviata gemina, Gnathostoma spp, Turgida turgida

Small intestine

Protozoa – Giardia spp, Cryptosporidium spp, Isospora spp, Eimeria spp, Hammondia pardalis

Toxoplasma gondii, Hammondia hammondi, Sarcocystis spp

Balantidium coli, Tritrichomonas spp, Cystoisospora spp, Microsporidium spp

Nematodes – Ancylostoma braziliense, Ancylostoma tubaeforme, Strongyloides spp

Besnoitia spp, Hammondia hammondi, Mesocestoides spp, Toxascaris leonina, Cylicospirura spp

Toxocara spp, Trichuris spp, Pterygodermatites spp, Uncinaria stenocephala, Physaloptera spp

Trematodes – Metagonimus spp, Eurytrema procyonis, Mammomonogamus spp, Heterophyes spp, Echinostoma spp

Parametorchius complexus, Platynosomum fastosum. Pharyngostomum cordatum, Gymnophalloides seoi

Heterophyopsis continua, Centrocestus armatus, Stellantchasmus falcatus, Acanthotrema felis, Plagiorchis spp

Stictodora lari, Stictodora fuscata, Procerovum spp, Cryptocotyle spp, Stephanoprora spp

Diplostomulum spp, Neodiplostomum spp, Alaria marcianae, Brachylaemus erinacei, Cynodiplostomum spp

Fibricola spp, Episthmium spp, Artyfechinostomum spp, Isthmiophora spp, Echinoparyphium spp

Apophallus spp, Ascocotyle spp, Euryhelmis spp, Galactosomum spp, Haplorchis spp, Dexiogonimus spp

Microphalloides vajrasthirae, Nanophyetus spp, Pygidiopsis summa

Cestodes – Spirometra spp, Mesocestoides spp, Dipylidium spp, Diphyllobothrium spp, Echinococcus multilocularis

Echinococcus granulosus, Mesostephanus spp, Prohemistomum vivax, Taenia taeniaeformis, Spirometra spp

Joyeuxiella spp, Choanotaenia spp, Diphyllobothrium spp, Diplopylidium spp

Acanthocephalans – Bolbosoma spp, Centrorhynchus aluconis, Oncicola spp. Moniliformis spp

Large intestine

Pentatrichomonas hominis

Strongyloides spp

See also

• Protozoa
• Nematodes
• Cestodes
• Trematodes
• Acanthocephalans

References

1. ↑ Atkins, CE & Litster, AL (2006) Heartworm disease. In August, JR (Ed): Consultations in feline internal medicine. Vol 5. Elsevier Saunders, Philadelphia. pp:323-330
2. ↑ Dr Eric Barchas, 2009 Vet Blog
3. ↑ Takahashi M et al (2004) Trombidiosis in cats caused by the bite of the larval trombiculid mite Helenicula miyagawai (Acari: Trombiculidae). Vet Rec 154(15):471-472
4. ↑ Goff ML & McKown RD (1997) The genus Hexidionis (Acari:Trombiculidae) with the description of a new species from Texas. J Med Entomol 34(4):438-440
5. ↑ Coman BJ et al (1981) Helminth parasites and arthropods of feral cats. Aust Vet J 57(7):324-327