EPIDEMIOLOGICAL UPDATE ON FELINE ZOONOTIC PARASITES IN REGIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ITALY

Cats may be infected by parasites, e.g. protozoa (e.g. Giardia), nematodes (e.g. Toxocara cati, Capillaria aerophila), and cestodes (e.g. Dipylidium caninum), of zoonotic interest. The availability of updated epidemiological data is pivotal, in order to improve control strategies aimed at safeguarding both animal and human health. A total of 670 cats with no deworming history were included in the study as a convenience data set, originating from Abruzzo (n = 366), Marche (n = 241), Molise (n = 21), and Puglia (n = 42). All the cats had temporary or permanent access to the outdoor environment and ranged in age from 4 months to 17 years, with a median age of 4 years. Fecal samples were collected from all animals and subjected to both macroscopic examination for cestode proglottids and copromicroscopic analysis. All samples were analyzed using flotation techniques, and 150 were tested simultaneously by flotation and sucrose concentration for the detection of Giardia cysts. Macroscopic examination did not reveal the presence of proglottids in any of the analyzed samples. Eggs of T. cati, C. aerophila, Ancylostomatidae and Taeniidae were detected in 111 (16.6%), 11 (1.6%), 4 (0.6%), and 3 (0.4%) samples. Twenty samples (13.3%) tested positive for Giardia spp. The flotation results confirm the stable occurrence of zoonotic helminths in the feline population of the investigated areas and are consistent with previous findings in Italy (Genchi et al., 2021). Also, the stable presence of Giardia spp. in Italian cat populations is here confirmed. Previous data are scant and a comparison is not possible due to the use of different diagnostic techniques (Paoletti et al., 2011; Procesi et al., 2021). Overall, these results suggest that regular parasitological examinations and tailored deworming programs are essential to reduce the circulation and risk of infection of zoonotic parasites for both animals and humans.