Prevalence of Zoonotic and Other Intestinal Protozoan Parasites in Stray Cats (Felis domesticus) of Kerman, South-East of Iran

Year 2017, Volume: 43 Issue: 1, 23 - 27, 01.01.2017

Sakineh Beigi Saeid Reza Nourollahi Fard Baharak Akhtardanesh

https://doi.org/10.16988/iuvfd.266130

Abstract

    Intestinal protozoan
parasites constitute a major source of diseases for stray cats and have been
recognized as important public health problems in several parts of the world.
Considering the potential risk of stray cats for public health, present cross-sectional
study was carried out to determine the type and frequency of protozoan
parasites by faecal examination. A total of 100 stray cats were examined in
Kerman city, Iran, Overall 67 cats (67%) were infected with at least one protozoan parasite. The following
parasites, with their respective prevalence, were found; Isospora felis 38%,
Isospora rivolta 25%, Toxoplasma gondii 16%, Sarcocystis
spp. 8%, Cryptosporidium spp. 7%, and Giardia sp. 5%. Based on our data, the
sex of stray cats was not significantly associated with the prevalence of
gastrointestinal protozoan parasites. The high infection rate of zoonotic intestinal
protozoan parasites in stray cats is considered to be critical from the
viewpoint of public health importance.

Keywords

Cat, Iran, protozoan parasites

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