Epidemiological monitoring of lungworms in cats from the Mediterranean basin: preliminary results

Aelurostrongylus abstrusus, Troglostrongylus brevior, and Capillaria aerophila are the main feline lungworms and represent a primary cause of respiratory disease in cats. Over the years, they have significantly expanded in the Mediterranean region and are still continuously spread1. Therefore, ongoing epidemiological monitoring is essential to understand their actual distribution and prevalence and thus determine the risk to which domestic cats are exposed. Methods. Between September 2024 and April 2025, 263 cat faecal samples were examined in Italy in Abruzzo, Marche, Puglia and Umbria regions, and 78 in Greece on the island of Mykonos. Of these, 203 were collected from Abruzzo, 31 from Puglia, 7 from Marche and 22 from Umbria. A total of 211 flotations were performed to detect C. aerophila and 298 Baermann tests for A. abstrusus and T. brevior detection. Twenty of the Baermann sediments were subjected to PCR for confirmation of A. abstrusus and T. brevior positivity. Results. In Italy, 6 cats tested positive for C. aerophila, all originating from Abruzzo. Nineteen tested positives for A. abstrusus, with 12 from Abruzzo, 3 from Puglia, and 4 from Marche. Eleven tested positives for T. brevior, with 10 in Abruzzo and one in Puglia. In Greece only the Baermann method was performed, and 3 positives for A. abstrusus and 3 for T. brevior were found. The prevalence in Italy was 2.5% for C. aerophila, 7.9% for A. abstrusus, and 4.6% for T. brevior. In Greece, the observed prevalence was 3.9% for both A. abstrusus and T. brevior. Conclusions. These results demonstrate that feline lungworm infections continue to be widespread among cat populations in central Italy and the Greek island of Mykonos, representing a problem that should not be overlooked. However, it is necessary to expand the sampling, including both endemic areas and areas not previously considered endemic, to fully understand the current distribution and prevalence of these parasites. Furthermore, it is important to simultaneously initiate monitoring that also includes emerging feline lungworm infections, particularly Oslerus rostratus, given their recent detection with high prevalence rates in the Canary Islands.