Prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in domestic cats (Felis catus) diagnosed by different coproparasitological techniques in the municipality of Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro.

The objectives of this work were to investigate the occurrence of parasites in feces of cats, compare different coproparasitological techniques for their diagnosis and determine associations with parasitism. The samples were processed using three different coproparasitological techniques: centrifugal flotation in sucrose, centrifugal flotation in ZnSO4 and simple sedimentation. The parasitic association between parasitism and variables such as age, sex and fecal consistency was performed using the chi-square test or the G test with a significance level of 5%. A total of 237 samples were analyzed, of which 93 (39.2%) were positive, being Ancylostoma spp. (17.3%), Giardia intestinalis (12.2%), Platynosomum illiciens (8.0%), Cystoisospora spp. (6.3%), Toxoplasma gondii/ Hammondia hammondi (3.4%), Diphyllobothriidae (2.1%), Toxocara spp. (1.7%), Dipylidium caninum (1.3%) and Mesocestoides spp. (0.8%). In the parasitism association analysis, it was possible to verify a statistical difference in the age category for Cystoisospora spp. (p=0.001) observing a strong relationship between parasitism and young animals, the association with sex proved to be important for P. illiciens (p<0.001) with a higher frequency of parasitized females and fecal consistency revealed to be related to the parasites G. intestinalis (p=0.007) and P. illiciens (p=0.033) showing a higher number of positive animals for these parasites with normal fecal consistency. In conclusion, we observed a higher occurrence of Ancylostoma spp. and G. intestinalis in fecal samples from domestic cats received in routine diagnoses and the presence of other parasites with zoonotic potential, as well as the relationship of these diagnosed parasites with the categories sex, age and fecal consistency.

Pyothorax caused by Nocardia sp. in a cat - Case report.

Nocardiosis is an infection caused by ubiquitous opportunistic bacteria and is rare in felines. In retrospective studies of the infection in the species, pyothorax was found in only about 5% of the cases described, with the most frequent forms being cutaneous and subcutaneous. This report describes Nocardia spp. as an etiologic agent of pyothorax in a feline leukemia virus (FeLV)-positive female cat. A 10-year-old female mixed-breed cat, positive for FeLV, with chronic kidney disease IRIS stage 2, was examined with a severe dyspneic onset, suspected of pleural effusion. It also had skin lesions in the interscapular region. The patient underwent thoracentesis, and a dense, creamy, fetid, and flocculated liquid was collected. Radiography was performed after draining the pleural fluid, which showed images suggestive of atelectasis of the left lung lobes and pneumonia. The collected material was sent for analysis, which found that it was a septic exudate. In addition, it was referred for bacterial culture in a special medium due to suspicion of nocardiosis. Long-term treatment with amoxicillin + clavulanic acid resolved the clinical case.

A nocardiose é uma infecção causada por bactérias oportunistas ubíquas e é rara em gatos. Em estudos retrospectivos da infecção na espécie, o piotórax foi encontrado em apenas cerca de 5% dos casos descritos, sendo as formas mais frequentes a cutânea e a subcutânea. Este relato descreve Nocardia spp. como agente etiológico do piotórax em um gato vírus da leucemia felina (FeLV)-positivo. Um gato mestiço de 10 anos de idade, positivo para o FeLV, com doença renal crônica IRIS estágio 2, foi examinado com dispneia grave, com suspeita de derrame pleural. Apresentava lesões cutâneas na região dorsal entre as escápulas. Após sedação, tricotomia e antissepsia, o paciente foi submetido à toracocentese e coletado líquido denso, cremoso, fétido e floculado. A radiografia foi realizada após drenagem do líquido pleural, que mostrou imagens sugestivas de atelectasia dos lobos pulmonares esquerdos e pneumonia. O material coletado foi encaminhado para análise, que constatou tratar-se de exsudato séptico. Além disso, foi encaminhado para cultura bacteriana em meio especial por suspeita de nocardiose. O tratamento prolongado com amoxicilina + ácido clavulânico foi suficiente para a resolução do caso clínico.