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Troglostrongylus brevior and a nonexistent ‘dilemma’

2013; Elsevier BV; Volume: 29; Issue: 11 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.pt.2013.09.001

1471-5007

Domenico Otranto, Emanuele Brianti, Filipe Dantas‐Torres,

Parasitic Infections and Diagnostics

A recent opinion article [ 1 Traversa D. Di Cesare A. Feline lungworms: what a dilemma. Trends Parasitol. 2013; 29: 423-430 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (80) Google Scholar ] discussed the current knowledge on metastrongyloids (lungworms) infecting domestic cats and the complexity of these conditions in terms of epidemiology and diagnosis, which may represent a hidden threat for the health of these animals. In addition to Aelurostrongylus abstrusus (Strongylida, Angiostrongylidae), which until recently was practically the only known lungworm of cats, metastrongyloids of the genus Troglostrongylus (Strongylida, Crenosomatidae) have recently come to the scenario of veterinary parasitology, gaining the attention of the scientific community, for their pathogenicity in infected animals [ 2 Brianti E. et al. Troglostrongylus brevior and Troglostrongylus subcrenatus (Strongylida: Crenosomatidae) as agents of broncho-pulmonary infestation in domestic cats. Parasit. Vectors. 2012; 5: 178 Crossref PubMed Scopus (98) Google Scholar , 3 Brianti E. et al. Evidence for direct transmission of the cat lungworm Troglostrongylus brevior (Strongylida: Crenosomatidae). Parasitology. 2013; 140: 821-824 Crossref PubMed Scopus (62) Google Scholar ]. Unfortunately, scientific information on Troglostrongylus (e.g., morphological identification and biology) is in its infancy, thus, posing major concerns with regard to the awareness of veterinarians to the risk related with these little known parasites. Following the report of Troglostrongylus brevior on a few occasions in felids from Palestine [ 4 Gerichter C.B. Studies on the nematodes parasitic in the lungs of felidae in Palestine. Parasitology. 1949; 39: 251-262 Crossref PubMed Scopus (99) Google Scholar ], larvae of a yet unclassified Troglostrongylus sp. were identified in feces of domestic cats from Ibiza, Spain [ 5 Jefferies R. et al. Aelurostrongylus abstrusus and Troglostrongylus sp. (Nematoda Metastrongyloidea) infections in cats inhabiting Ibiza, Spain. Vet. Parasitol. 2010; 173: 344-348 Crossref PubMed Scopus (78) Google Scholar ]. This retrieval, received with certain curiosity by the scientific community, remained an anecdotic finding until T. brevior was identified, for the first time, as a causative agent of severe respiratory infection in domestic cats in southern Italy (e.g., Apulia and Sicily) [ 2 Brianti E. et al. Troglostrongylus brevior and Troglostrongylus subcrenatus (Strongylida: Crenosomatidae) as agents of broncho-pulmonary infestation in domestic cats. Parasit. Vectors. 2012; 5: 178 Crossref PubMed Scopus (98) Google Scholar , 3 Brianti E. et al. Evidence for direct transmission of the cat lungworm Troglostrongylus brevior (Strongylida: Crenosomatidae). Parasitology. 2013; 140: 821-824 Crossref PubMed Scopus (62) Google Scholar ]. In their study, Brianti and colleagues [ 2 Brianti E. et al. Troglostrongylus brevior and Troglostrongylus subcrenatus (Strongylida: Crenosomatidae) as agents of broncho-pulmonary infestation in domestic cats. Parasit. Vectors. 2012; 5: 178 Crossref PubMed Scopus (98) Google Scholar ] conducted thoughtful morphometrical, molecular, and phylogenetic analyses for differentiating T. brevior, Troglostrongylus subcrenatus, and A. abstrusus, and paved the way for a number of studies on the biology, diagnosis, and treatment, undertaken at the Universities of Messina and Bari (Italy). Currently, we have a fairly nice picture of these infections [ 2 Brianti E. et al. Troglostrongylus brevior and Troglostrongylus subcrenatus (Strongylida: Crenosomatidae) as agents of broncho-pulmonary infestation in domestic cats. Parasit. Vectors. 2012; 5: 178 Crossref PubMed Scopus (98) Google Scholar , 3 Brianti E. et al. Evidence for direct transmission of the cat lungworm Troglostrongylus brevior (Strongylida: Crenosomatidae). Parasitology. 2013; 140: 821-824 Crossref PubMed Scopus (62) Google Scholar ] that has been somehow rediscussed in the opinion article by Traversa and Di Cesare [ 1 Traversa D. Di Cesare A. Feline lungworms: what a dilemma. Trends Parasitol. 2013; 29: 423-430 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (80) Google Scholar ]. Based on our experience and on the literature available, here we attempted to briefly answer some of the 'outstanding questions' reported in Box 3 of the opinion article [ 1 Traversa D. Di Cesare A. Feline lungworms: what a dilemma. Trends Parasitol. 2013; 29: 423-430 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (80) Google Scholar ].