First case of a natural infection in a domestic cat (Felis catus) with the canid heart worm Angiostrongylus vasorum.

Cardiopulmonary nematodes in cats include different parasite species affecting feline lungs and the heart, with the metastrongyloid Aelurostrongylus abstrusus being the most frequent feline lungworm worldwide. The present case report describes an 11-month-old male neutered European short hair cat which presented with generalised subcutaneous oedema and pleural and peritoneal effusions. According to clinical examination, abdominal imaging and laboratory analyses, a tentative diagnosis of severe glomerulopathy with massive proteinuria was made.

Seroprevalence of antibodies against the cat lungworm Aelurostrongylus abstrusus in cats from endemic areas of Italy.

Aelurostrongylus abstrusus (Nematoda, Metastrongyloidea) is a worldwide occurring lungworm causing verminous pneumonia in cats. To date the Baermann method is the most used procedure to diagnose A. abstrusus infection by isolating first stage larvae from faeces, though its sensitivity and specificity can be impaired by several factors.

Serological survey and risk factors of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus infection among owned cats in Italy.

Feline lungworms affect the respiratory tract of domestic cats causing respiratory conditions of various degrees. In this study, we investigated the exposure of cats to feline lungworm infections by detecting antibodies in a large population of animals from several regions of Italy. Sera of 1087 domestic cats living in regions of the north (n = 700), the centre (n = 227) and the south (n = 160) of Italy were examined by a newly developed indirect ELISA conceived for detection of antibodies against the most frequently occurring feline lungworm Aelurostrongylus abstrusus.

Seroprevalence, biogeographic distribution and risk factors for Aelurostrongylus abstrusus infections in Swiss cats.

The metastrongyloid nematode Aelurostrongylus abstrusus is a worldwide occurring feline lungworm. The spectrum of clinical signs in infected cats ranges from mild (e.g.