FLOTAC and Mini-FLOTAC for uro-microscopic diagnosis of Capillaria plica (syn. Pearsonema plica) in dogs

Comparison of Different Copromicroscopic Techniques in the Diagnosis of Intestinal and Respiratory Parasites of Naturally Infected Dogs and Cats

Simple Summary

Appropriate fecal examinations are very important for diagnosing parasitic diseases in dogs and cats. In this study, four different conventional copromicroscopic techniques (flotation, McMaster, Mini-FLOTAC, and Baermann) were evaluated for their performance in detecting intestinal and extra-intestinal parasitic elements in canine and feline feces. Stool samples from 100 dogs and 105 cats, respectively, were tested with the above techniques. Flotation and Mini-FLOTAC gave the best results in detecting intestinal and respiratory parasitoses by Toxocara spp., Toxascaris leonina, Ancylostomatidae, Cystoisospora spp., Trichuris vulpis and Capillaria spp., whereas the Baermann test was the best method for the detection of infections caused by metastrongyloids. These data provide useful information for veterinary clinicians on the most appropriate techniques to use during diagnostic paths in clinical settings.

Abstract

Several copromicroscopic techniques, including tools belonging to the FLOTAC group, are available for the qualitative and/or quantitative diagnosis of canine and feline parasitoses. The present study was carried out to compare the diagnostic performance of different copromicroscopic methods for detecting common intestinal and extra-intestinal parasites of dogs and cats. Fecal samples of 100 dogs and 105 cats were randomly selected from different regions of Italy. All samples were subjected to conventional flotation, McMaster, Mini-FLOTAC, and Baermann. Fifty-six dogs and twenty-five cats were found positive to at least one technique, and, among them, flotation (55% and 20.9% of the dogs and cats, respectively) and Mini-FLOTAC (52% and 20.9% of the dogs and cats, respectively) detected the highest number of positive samples. Larvae of the feline metastrongyloids Aelurostrongylus abstrusus and Troglostrongylus brevior were identified only using the Baermann test in two (1.9%) and one (0.9%) cat respectively. No larvae were found with the Baermann examination of dog feces or any of the other methods. The present results show that the Mini-FLOTAC represents a possible alternative to conventional flotation in clinical settings for the detection of intestinal and respiratory parasites e.g., Toxocara spp., Toxascaris leonina, Ancylostomatidae, Cystoisospora spp., Trichuris vulpis and Capillaria spp., although Baermann’s test remains the most recommended technique for the diagnosis of infections caused by metastrongyloid lungworms.

Detection of Stephanurus dentatus in wild boar urine using different parasitological techniques

Stephanurus dentatus is a nematode that parasitizes the urinary tract of domestic and wild Suidae, especially in tropical areas. However, there is a lack of information about stephanurosis in wild boar (Sus scrofa), thus making it necessary to develop sensitive techniques with which to diagnose this pathogen in order to carry out further research. In Spain, the high prevalence of this nematode has been evidenced in Doñana National Park (DNP). The objective of the present work is twofold. The first is to compare the efficacy of three parasitological techniques to detect S. dentatus eggs in the urine of infected wild boar: (i) gravity sedimentation, (ii) sedimentation by centrifugation, and (iii) flotation techniques, while the second is to determine whether the quantification of eggs can serve as an indicative value of the host's parasite intensity. In order to accomplish these purposes, 27 wild boars from DNP were necropsied, and the urinary system of each animal was examined in order to determine parasite intensity. While all the aforementioned techniques can be used to detect eggs in urine, the most effective in terms of egg quantification are sedimentation by gravity and by centrifugation, as they allow a greater number of S. dentatus eggs to be detected. However, none of the results obtained with these techniques significantly correlated with the number of adult nematodes parasitizing the host, signifying that counts in urine can provide guidance on only the parasite intensity of wild boar.

Urinary capillariasis: Case report of Pearsonema (syn. Capillaria) plica infection in a dog in Greece

Pearsonema (syn. Capillaria) plica is a nematode that resides in the urinary bladder of canids, felids and mustelids (definitive hosts) and is classified in the same class as Trichuris spp. Epidemiological and clinical data on Pearsonema plica infection in domestic animals are limited. The nematode has an indirect lifecycle that involves earthworms as intermediate hosts. A six-year-old crossbred dog from Greece, presented a history of intermittent pollakiuria and hematuria. At urine analysis, P. plica eggs were found in the urine sediment. The dog was successfully treated with a double dose of milbemycin. To the best of our knowledge this is the first case of urinary capillariasis diagnosed in a domestic animal in Greece.

Capillaria plica in Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from Serbia: Epidemiology and Diagnostic Approaches to Urinary Capillariosis in Domestic Carnivores

PURPOSE

This study aimed to determine the presence of C. plica in red foxes and to point out the possibilities of different diagnostic methods, that could be used for diagnosis of urinary capillariosis in domestic carnivores.

METHODS

Seventeen red foxes from hunting grounds in the Kolubara District, Republic of Serbia, were examined in February 2019. Animals to be shot were selected based on the criteria of gamekeepers and the permission of the competent Ministry. After hunting, the foxes were examined by ultrasound and autopsied. After the necropsy, biochemical and sediment analysis of urine morphological identification of isolated adult parasites, and macroscopic/microscopic examination of the urinary bladder and kidney tissue were performed.

RESULTS

Adults of C. plica were detected in 3/17 foxes (17.6%) by ultrasound imaging and in 6/17 foxes (35.3%) by necropsy examination. Parasite eggs were found in the urinary sediment of 9/17 foxes (52.9%). The predominant histopathologic changes were amyloid degeneration of the renal glomeruli and proximal tubules (8/17 foxes-47%) as well as acute cystitis (7/17 foxes-41.2%). The occurrence of C. plica was determined in 12/17 (70.6%) of the examined foxes.

DISCUSSION

This study is the first record of the C. plica in red foxes in the Republic of Serbia. Diagnostic methods used in this study could make possible the early revealing of capillariosis in domestic carnivores and could provide reliable clinical and parasitological screening of suspect animals.

CONCLUSION

The study presents the first report of urinary capillariosis in a fox population in Serbia. The established high prevalence of C. plica in foxes could presume its higher prevalence in domestic and wild carnivores in the future.

Pearsonema spp. (Family Capillariidae, Order Enoplida) Infection in Domestic Carnivores in Central-Northern Italy and in a Red Fox Population from Central Italy

Simple Summary

Pearsonema spp. nematodes live in the urinary bladder and sometimes in the ureters and renal pelvis of domestic and wild carnivores, in which they may be responsible for urinary capillariosis. While the red fox is considered a reservoir of Pearsonema plica, the occurrence of Pearsonema spp. infection in domestic carnivores is still poorly known. This study aimed to assess the occurrence of Pearsonema spp. infection in privately owned cats and dogs from central (Tuscany) and northern Italy (Piedmont and Lombardy) alongside its occurrence in a red fox population from central Italy (Tuscany). Among the examined animals, 2/26 cats (7.7%), 1/83 dogs (1.2%), and 38/42 foxes (90.5%) were found positive. Recurrent cystitis, pollakiuria, and hematuria were the main clinical signs in symptomatic dogs and cats. This is the first study on Pearsonema spp. infection of domestic carnivores examining a large number of privately owned pet animals. Obtained results confirm the role of the red fox as a reservoir for P. plica in Europe and suggest a possible high occurrence of Pearsonema spp. infection in domestic cats of central Italy.

Abstract

Pearsonema spp. nematodes infect the urinary bladder of domestic and wild carnivores. The red fox is considered a reservoir of Pearsonema plica, while the prevalence of Pearsonema spp. in domestic carnivores is still poorly known. This study aimed to assess the occurrence of Pearsonema spp. infection in privately owned cats (26) and dogs (83) from central and northern Italy alongside occurrence in red foxes (42) from central Italy. In positive dogs and cats, associated clinical signs were also evaluated. Urine samples were first examined under a stereomicroscope; then, they were centrifuged and microscopically examined after a flotation test. As for foxes, the urinary bladders were opened and urine was collected and processed as above, while collected nematodes were identified at the species level. Among examined animals, 2/26 cats (7.7%), 1/83 dogs (1.2%), and 38/42 foxes (90.5%) scored positive. Recurrent cystitis, pollakiuria, and hematuria were the main clinical signs in symptomatic dogs and cats. This is the first study on Pearsonema spp. infection in domestic carnivores examining a large number of privately owned pet animals. Obtained results confirm the role of the red fox as a reservoir for P. plica and suggest a possible high occurrence of Pearsonema spp. infection in domestic cats of central Italy.

First Documented Cases of Pearsonema Plica (syn. Capillaria Plica) Infections in Dogs from Western Slovakia

Three clinical cases of dogs with Pearsonema plica infection were detected in the western part of Slovakia. All cases were detected within five months. Infections were confirmed after positive findings of capillarid eggs in the urine sediment in following breeds. The eight years old Jack Russell Terrier, one year old Italian Greyhound, and eleven years old Yorkshire terrier were examined and treated. In one case, the infection was found accidentally in clinically healthy dog. Two other patients had nonspecific clinical signs such as apathy, inappetence, vomiting, polydipsia and frequent urination. This paper describes three individual cases, including the case history, clinical signs, examinations, and therapies. All data were obtained by attending veterinarian as well as by dog owners.

Urinary capillariosis in a free-ranging Marsican brown bear (Ursus arctos marsicanus)

Extraintestinal nematodes have been seldom investigated in the brown bear (Ursus arctos). In this study, a case of urinary capillariosis and bladder associated lesions is reported in a deceased free-ranging Marsican brown bear (Ursus arctos marsicanus) from Central Italy. Gross lesions in the urinary bladder consisted of scattered foci of mucosal hyperemia, while at histological examination mild cystitis was observed. At microscopic examination of urine and bladder lavage fluid, capillariid adult female nematodes and eggs were found, suspected of belonging to the genus Pearsonema based on their location in the urinary bladder. This is the first report of Pearsonema infection and associated bladder lesions in a brown bear.

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Capillariid nematodes were found in the urinary bladder of a Marsican brown bear.

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Based on morphology and location, a Pearsonema species was suspected.

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Scattered hyperemic foci in the bladder mucosa and mild cystitis were observed.

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This is the first report of cystitis associated with Pearsonema infection in a bear.

Urinary bladder worm (Pearsonema sp.) infection in domestic dogs and cats in Mexico at a high altitude

Urinary bladder worm infection is relatively uncommon in pet dogs and cats in the Americas. This report describes the diagnosis of lower urinary tract infection by Pearsonema plica in two asymptomatic dogs and P. feliscati in a cat with lower urinary tract clinical signs diagnosed between 2002 and 2015, and the first report of this type of parasitism in domestic small animals in Mexico at an altitude above 2600 m above sea level. The studied cases demonstrate the need to consider a urinary bladder worm infection in domestic small animals, both stray animals and those with controlled access to the streets. Although a definitive host as foxes does not exist among the urban wildlife in cities of the Americas, stray dogs and cats should be considered as potential reservoir hosts of Pearsonema, which requires future epidemiological studies in these populations.

The Mini-FLOTAC technique for the diagnosis of helminth and protozoan infections in humans and animals

This protocol is an extension to: Nat. Protoc. 5, 503-515 (2010); doi: 10.1038/nprot.2009.235; published online 25 February 2010The FLOTAC is a sensitive, accurate, and precise technique for the diagnosis of protozoan and helminth infections in humans and animals. However, it requires centrifugation, and hence might be out of reach in resource-constrained settings. As an extension of the original FLOTAC protocol, this protocol describes the Mini-FLOTAC technique, a logical evolution of FLOTAC conceived to perform multivalent, qualitative, and quantitative diagnosis of helminth and protozoan infections in human and animal feces, and urine. This has been found to be of most use in the processing of large numbers of samples with rapid laboratory workup, and for veterinary applications directly on-farm. In addition to the Mini-FLOTAC apparatus, we describe the use of the Fill-FLOTAC, a closed system used to facilitate the performance of the first four consecutive steps of the Mini-FLOTAC technique: fecal sample collection and weighing, homogenization, filtration, and filling of the Mini-FLOTAC chambers. Processing of an individual sample using this protocol requires ∼12 min.

Urinary capillariosis in six dogs from Italy

Canine urinary capillariosis is caused by the nematode Pearsonema plica. P. plica infection is seldomly detected in clinical practice mainly due to diagnostic limitations. This report describes six cases of urinary capillariosis in dogs from Italy. Recurrent cystitis was observed in one dog, whereas another patient was affected by glomerular amyloidosis. In the remaining animals, the infection was considered an incidental finding. Immature eggs of the parasite were observed with urine sediment examination in 3/6 patients. Increased awareness of the potential pathogenic role of P. plica and clinical disease presentation could help identify infected animals.