Helminth parasites of cats from the Vientiane Province, Laos, as indicators of the occurrence of causative agents of human parasitoses

Abstract

A total of 55 domestic cats (Felis calus f. domestico) and one wild (Bengal) cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) from the Vientiane Province, central Laos, were examined for helminth parasites with emphasis given to potential human parasites. The following species were found (parasites infective to man marked with an asterisk): Opisthorchis viverrini*, Haplorchis pumilio*,H. laichui*,H. yokogawai*, Stellantchasmus falcatus* (Digenea); Spirometra sp.*, Dipylidium caninum*, Taenia taeniaeformis (Cestoda); Capillariidae gen. sp., Toxocara canis*, T. cati*, Ancylostoma ceylanicum*, A. tubaeforme, Gnathostoma spinigerum*, Physaloptera preputials (Nematoda); and Oncicola sp. (Acanthocephala). This study demonstrated that examination of cats may provide useful data on the occurrence of helminths which are potential causative agents of human diseases.

Keywords

• helminths
• cats
• Laos
• human parasites
• prevalence
• epidemiology