Retrospective analysis of feline intestinal parasites: trends in testing positivity by age, USA geographical region and
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Parasites & Vectors Open Access
RESEARCH
Retrospective analysis of feline intestinal parasites: trends in testing positivity by age, USA geographical region and reason for veterinary visit Sarah Sweet, Donald Szlosek, Donald McCrann, Michael Coyne* , David Kincaid and Evan Hegarty
Abstract Background: The goals of this retrospective study were to estimate parasite positivity in samples from cats using zinc sulfate fecal flotation by centrifugation (“centrifugation”) and coproantigen and examine trends with age, geographi‑ cal region and reason for visit to veterinarian. Common methods of parasite detection, such as centrifugal flotation, passive flotation, or direct smear, may underrepresent the true prevalence of intestinal parasites in cats. Coproantigen testing detects more positive samples than traditional methods alone. Methods: Feline fecal test results from the continental USA containing results for fecal exams performed using cen‑ trifugation paired with coproantigen results for ascarid, hookworm, whipworm and Giardia were obtained from the database of a national commercial reference laboratory comprised of multiple regional sites. Results: Parasite positivity was highest in samples from young cats and decreased with cat age. The western region of the USA had lower total parasite positivity than other regions for all parasites except Giardia. Cats receiving fecal tests during veterinary wellness visits had only slightly lower parasite positivity than samples from cats during sick clinical visits. Conclusions: This study showed a larger population of cats are at increased risk of parasitism than commonly believed and coproantigen testing produces more positive test results for the four parasites that antigen can detect than centrifugation of feline fecal samples. Keywords: Cat, Feline, Parasitism, Fecal, Flotation, Coproantigen, Hookworm, Whipworm, Ascarid, Giardia Background Intestinal parasite risk to pet cats is underrepresented in the literature and is often overlooked by pet owners and veterinarians [1–3]. The aims of this study were to report the proportion of positive fecal test results in samples from pet cats in the United States; to examine trends in positivity with age, geographical region, and reason for veterinary visit; and to describe differences in positivity between the two diagnostic methods, centrifugation and *Correspondence: Michael‑[email protected] IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., One IDEXX Drive, Westbrook, ME, USA
coproantigen immunoassay. Previously published studies investigating feline intestinal parasitism in the USA were limited to a single parasite [1, 4, 5], a particular geographical region [2, 3, 6], or focused solely on free-roaming or shelter cats [2, 3, 7]. These limitations make it difficult for a veterinarian to assess the risk to their patients. Reported prevalence of intestinal parasite infection in domestic cats is often region-specific and may vary widely, ranging from 0.03 to 33% [8–12]. One resource for national reporting on feline fecal parasitism is CAPC (Compani
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