Felid Parasitoses, New Insights and Open Perspectives

Dear Colleagues,

Domestic cats are hugely distributed all over the world, and they are the most popular pets in Europe with a stable population of more than 70 million. Thus, the level of sanitary management in felid medicine is truly demanding, and parasitology plays a crucial role.

Domestic cats can be infected/infested by a large spectrum of endo- and ecto-parasites, and also by several vector-borne diseases (VBDs). VBDs are the cause of major health issues for cats, and some represent a crucial hazard for human health. Endoparasites induce various clinical signs depending on their localization, and on the cat’s immune status and age, while ectoparasites may additionally have a vectorial role and transmit pathogens of high importance for felid and, sometimes, human, health.

From a veterinary standpoint, common and well-known parasites are of high concern for the health and welfare of cats. This is the case, for instance, in hookworms, the heartworm Dirofilaria immitis, or fleas causing flea allergic dermatitis. In the past few years, the clinical role of neglected parasites in cat parasitology has been (re-)discovered, as in the case of emergent lungworms and eyeworms; intestinal Tritrichomonadid; and vector-borne pathogens like Hepatozoon, Cytauxzoon, or Leishmania infantum.

In the case of public health hazards, various felid parasites may infect/infest people. For example, from the environment, soil, or fresh vegetables, human beings may inadvertently ingest zoonotic Giardia assemblages, larvated eggs of Toxocara cati (important agent of Larva Migrans Syndromes), sporulated oocysts of Toxoplasma gondii (probably the most important zoonotic felid parasite), or eggs of the potentially deadly taeniid Echinococcus multilocularis. In addition, people may ingest Dipylidium caninum cysticercoids developed in fleas, or may be infected by larval hookworms that are capable of invading the skin or mucosae from contaminated soil. Cats may harbor zoonotic vector-borne pathogens (e.g., Bartonella and Rickettsia) that may be transmitted by the ectoparasite vectors and/or directly by the cat, as in the case of the cat scratch disease. While flea-borne zoonoses are well known, in the past few years, the role of ticks and transmitted pathogens in cat and human health has also been revalued greatly.

Clinical and practical approaches and “pure” scientific research are two strictly interlinked “worlds” in parasitology, and many achievements have been obtained in felid parasitology under this perspective. For example, the genetic and biochemical features of the relevant protozoa have been studied; new species of lungworms or pathogens transmitted by ticks and fleas have (re-)gained attention; the role of wild felids in the epizootiology of many parasitoses has been greatly investigated; and new diagnostic, control, and preventative measures of old and new parasitoses have been validated and standardized. Nonetheless, there is a constant merit for updating our knowledge on felid parasitology, because there is still a general perception that cats may be treated as “small dogs”, thus causing misleading knowledge and data dissemination. This is the reason why, for a long time, the importance of scientific studies on cats were considered almost nil compared with dogs. On the contrary, the continuous improvement of scientific research is at the basis of enhancing standards for the care of companion animals, including cats.

In this exciting context, Pathogens will launch a Special Issue devoted to “Felid Parasitoses, New Insights and Open Perspectives”, with the core aim of publishing the most recent and innovative information and knowledge obtained by outstanding research teams working in this field, and, at the same time, providing food for thought for an open discussion towards filling the gaps still open and implementing knowledge about felid parasites under a “One Health” perspective.

Both original research and review articles are welcomed. Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Epizootiology/epidemiology of parasites transmitted via the faecal–oral route or by ectoparasite vectors
• Role of wildlife interplay in the “old” and “new” parasites of domestic cats
• New diagnostic assays and treatment measures
• Basic genetic and biomolecular features.

Prof. Dr. Donato Traversa
Dr. Anastasia Diakou
Dr. Simone Morelli
Guest Editors

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• cat
• zoonosis
• protozoa
• vector-borne
• helminths
• ectoparasites