Occurrence of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus and Troglostrongylus brevior in cats from Italy

The cat lungworm Aelurostrongylus abstrusus occurs throughout Europe while Troglostrongylus brevior has been recently recorded in cats from Spain, Italy and Greece. This survey investigated the occurrence of A. abstrusus and T. brevior in 835 cats (i.e. 97, 88, 134, 222, 182 and 112 from sites I-VI) from Northern (sites I and II) and Central (sites III-VI) Italy. Faecal samples were microscopically examined and their positivity was confirmed molecularly. Fifty-two (6.2%) cats were positive for A. abstrusus, 35 (4.2%) for T. brevior, while 15 (1.8%) showed a mixed infection. Aelurostrongylus abstrusus was found in 2 (2.1%), 11 (11.4%), 4 (3%), 7 (3.2%), 19 (10.4%) and 9 (8%) samples in sites I-VI, while T. brevior in 1 (1%), 13 (8.6%), 15 (8.2%), 6 (5.4%) in sites I, IV, V and VI. Mixed infections were recorded in sites IV (2/0.9%), V (11/6%) and VI (2/1.8%). Infected cats were classified based on their age in Groups A (0-6 month-old, 43 cats), B (6-24 month-old, 33 cats), C (older than two years, 26 cats). Cats with aelurostrongylosis, troglostrongylosis and mixed infections, belonged to Groups A (13/25%, 21/60% and 9/60%), B (19/36.5%, 11/31.4% and 3/20%) and C (20/38.5%, 3/8.6% and 3/20%), respectively. These results confirm the presence of A. abstrusus throughout Italy and a spreading of T. brevior in central regions, especially in kittens and young cats. These lungworms should be always considered in the differential diagnosis of cat respiratory diseases. Further studies are required on treatment and control of feline infections caused by lungworms.