Parasites of Zoonotic Interest Detected in Felis catus domesticus in Midwestern Brazil

Interactions between humans and animals can be considerably beneficial to human well-being, and the demand for domestic cats as pets has increased in recent years. Despite these benefits, however, cats may  contribute to environmental dissemination of zoonotic pathogens, with potential risks to human health. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and diversity of feline parasites of zoonotic interest in Campo Grande, the capital city of Mato Grosso do Sul state, Midwestern Brazil, where studies on feline parasitic fauna remain scarce. Fecal samples from 210 male and female cats of varying ages, sheltered at the local Center for Zoonosis Control, were examined. Spontaneous and ether centrifugal sedimentation were used to detect the parasites, found in 149 animals (71.0%), 93 (62.4%) of which were infected with a single parasitic species and 56 (37.6%) with two or more species. Ten parasitic species were detected, where Ancylostoma sp. was the most frequent (65.2%), followed by Platynosomum concinnum (21.0%), Cystoisospora sp. (7.1%), Aelurostrongylus abstrusus (1.9%), Strongyloides sp. (1.9%), Dipylidium caninum (1.4%), Giardia sp. (1.0%), Toxocara sp. (1.0%), Physaloptera praeputialis (1.0%), and Sarcocystis sp. (0.5%). The results obtained are relevant to human and veterinary public health policies and demonstrate the cats’ role in the transmission chain of parasitic zoonoses, particularly in urban areas. The findings can also serve to raise awareness among veterinarians and cat owners on the importance of preventive interventions to ensure healthier cohabitation with pets by reducing human exposure to cat borne parasites in urban areas.   Keywords: Zoonoses. Felines. Helminths. Protozoa. One Health. Resumo As interacoes entre humanos e animais podem ser consideravelmente beneficas para o bem-estar humano, e a demanda por gatos domesticos como animais de estimacao aumentou nos ultimos anos. Apesar desses beneficios, no entanto, os gatos podem contribuir para a disseminacao ambiental de patogenos zoonoticos, com riscos potenciais para a saude humana. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar a prevalencia e diversidade de parasitos de interesse zoonotico em felinos de Campo Grande, capital do estado de Mato Grosso do Sul, no Centro-Oeste do Brasil, onde estudos sobre a fauna parasitaria felina permanecem escassos. Foram examinadas amostras fecais de 210 gatos machos e femeas de idades variadas, abrigados no Centro de Controle de Zoonoses local. Sedimentacao espontânea e sedimentacao por centrifugacao em eter foram utilizadas para detectar os parasitos, encontrados em 149 animais (71,0%), 93 (62,4%) dos quais foram infectados com uma unica especie parasitaria e 56 (37,6%) com duas ou mais especies. Foram detectadas dez especies parasitarias, sendo Ancylostoma sp. o mais frequente (65,2%), seguido por Platynosomum concinnum (21,0%), Cystoisospora sp. (7,1%), Aelurostrongylus abstrusus (1,9%), Strongyloides sp. (1,9%), Dipylidium caninum (1,4%), Giardia sp. (1,0%), Toxocara sp. (1,0%), Physaloptera praeputialis (1,0%) e Sarcocystis sp. (0,5%). Os resultados obtidos sao relevantes para as politicas de saude publica humana e veterinaria e demonstram o papel dos gatos na cadeia de transmissao das zoonoses parasitarias, principalmente nas areas urbanas. As descobertas tambem podem servir para conscientizar os veterinarios e donos de gatos da importância de intervencoes preventivas para garantir uma coabitacao mais saudavel com animais de estimacao, reduzindo a exposicao humana a parasitos transmitidos por gatos em areas urbanas.   Palavras-chave:  Zoonoses. Felinos. Helmintos. Protozoarios. Saude Unica.