Next Article in Journal
Combined Association of Plasma Metabolites with Body Mass Index and Physical Activity Level
Next Article in Special Issue
Impacts of Urbanization and Habitat Characteristics on the Human Risk of West Nile Disease in the United States
Previous Article in Journal
A New Genus of Andean Katydid with Unusual Pronotal Structure for Enhancing Resonances
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
Biology
Volume 13
Issue 12
10.3390/biology13121073
biology-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite question_answer Discuss in SciProfiles
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
Review

A Rare Parasite in Cats: Record of a Linguatula serrata Frölich, 1789 (Porocephalida, Linguatulidae) Nymphal Infestation in a Cat in Albania, with a Synopsis and Review of the Literature on L. serrata Infestation in Cats

by
Enstela Vokshi
1,
Martin Knaus
2 and
Steffen Rehbein
2,*
1
Fakulteti i Mjekësisë Veterinare, Universiteti Bujqësor, Kodër Kamëz, 1000 Tirana, Albania
2
Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH, Kathrinenhof Research Center, 83101 Rohrdorf, Germany
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Biology 2024, 13(12), 1073; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13121073
Submission received: 22 November 2024 / Revised: 16 December 2024 / Accepted: 17 December 2024 / Published: 20 December 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Zoonotic Diseases)
Browse Figures
Review Reports Versions Notes

Simple Summary

Linguatula serrata, commonly known as the dogs’ ‘tongue-worm’, is a worm-like arthropod parasite of the class Pentastomida. It does not have five mouths as implied by the name, but there is one mouth flanked by two pairs of retractable hooks. Linguatula serrata has an indirect life cycle with canids as definitive hosts and herbivores as intermediate hosts which have a predator-prey relationship. Adult L. serrata usually live in the nose and pharynx of the definitive host, and the infectious larval stages (nymphs) are encapsulated in visceral organs of the intermediate host. However, domestic cats were listed in the literature to serve as both definitive and intermediate hosts of L. serrata. A thorough review of the literature including the herein described rare case of a nymphal infestation of a cat provides support for the potential role of the cat as (accidental) the intermediate host of L. serrata. There was, however, no support for cats to act as the definitive host of L. serrata.

Abstract

Linguatula serrata, commonly known as the dogs’ ‘tongue-worm’, is an arthropod endoparasite of the class Pentastomida infesting chiefly canids as definitive hosts and herbivores as intermediate hosts. Adult L. serrata usually reside in the upper respiratory tract, such as the nasal cavity and sinuses, and the larval stages are encapsulated in various visceral organs, respectively. This report presents the first case of a L. serrata nymphal pulmonary infestation in a cat from Albania and adds to the description of the overall rare cases of this parasitic infestation in domestic cats. Discussion of this case together with a comprehensive review of the literature allows us to conclude that cats are susceptible to the infestation with L. serrata when ingesting the parasite’s eggs and allow for the development of the nymphal stage of the parasite in several visceral organs. Therefore, cats may serve as accidental intermediate hosts in the life cycle of L. serrata but are unlikely to be of epidemiological relevance. There is no evidence that domestic cats can act as definitive hosts of L. serrata.

1. Introduction

Linguatula serrata Frölich, 1789 (Porocephalida, Linguatulidae), also known as the ‘tongue worm’ or European Linguatula, is a cosmopolitan endoparasite, currently classified in the class Pentastomida within the phylum Arthropoda, with a two-host life cycle usually utilizing canids as its final hosts and chiefly various herbivorous mammals as intermediate hosts. Because the adult parasites inhabit the nasal cavities and sinuses of their hosts, potentially impair nasal respiration, and are occasionally expulsed from the nose, L. serrata infestations usually attract the attention of dog owners prompting the consultation of a veterinarian. In addition, L. serrata does have some zoonotic importance.
In several parts of the Middle East and Africa, L. serrata is highly endemic. Adult parasites are particularly prevalent in free-roaming dogs, and a large proportion of domestic ruminants carry the infectious larval stages of the parasite (‘nymphs’, ‘Pentastomum denticulatum’), which is called ‘visceral pentastomosis’. Human nasopharyngeal infestation acquired by the consumption of insufficiently cooked lymph nodes, liver, or other internal organs of L. serrata-infested ruminants causes a well-known clinical syndrome named halzoun or marrara. There are also several reports on human visceral pentastomosis, which is usually symptomless and associated with minimal pathology but may rarely, in the case of erratic nymphal migration, result in clinical presentations [1,2,3,4,5,6,7].
Throughout Europe, L. serrata infestation in animals was described in a rather limited number of publications in the second half of the 20th century. Local epidemiological data collected in dogs and wild carnivores were reported from Northern Ireland [8], former Yugoslavia [9,10,11,12,13,14,15], and Romania [16,17], and sporadic cases of infestation of dogs and/or wolves (Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758) were described from Germany, Italy, and Greece [18,19,20,21]. In addition, visceral pentastomosis was reported in domestic ruminants from the British Isles, Spain, France, Italy, former Yugoslavia, Albania, Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece [17,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35], and in hares (Lepus europaeus Pallas, 1778), southern chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica Bonaparte, 1845), and/or European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus [Linnaeus, 1758]) from Spain, France, former Yugoslavia, Romania, and/or Bulgaria [16,36,37,38,39,40,41,42]. Furthermore, the diagnosis of L. serrata in dogs imported into Germany from Turkey was reported [43]. A substantial number of publications were issued in the first decades of the 21st century comprising case reports on the finding of L. serrata in dogs translocated from Romania but also from Spain, Italy, and Turkey into the UK, Germany, Norway, Finland, and Italy [44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54]; there are also records of L. serrata infestation in local dogs in the UK, Spain, Italy, Serbia, Albania, Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece [55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68] and in wild canids (wolf, golden jackal [Canis aureus Linnaeus, 1758] and/or red fox [Vulpes vulpes (Linnaeus, 1758)]) in Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Romania, and Greece [69,70,71,72,73,74,75]. In addition, there are records of the occurrence of visceral infestation with L. serrata nymphs in hares and/or roe deer from Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece [74,76,77,78,79,80,81], while reports on L. serrata nymphal infestation of domestic ruminants, originating from Italy, Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece, are rather scarce [76,82,83,84].
Overall, the publications mentioning L. serrata infestation in animals in Europe since the 1950s identify southeastern Europe, in particular the Balkans and Romania, as the geographic focus of the endemicity of L. serrata. After a decline in the number of reports issued on L. serrata infestation from the 1950s to the 1970s, an increase can be observed towards the end of the century continuing into the first decades of the 21st century. This trend is driven by the growing number of reports on L. serrata infestation in relocated rescue dogs and in dogs living in endemic regions. In addition, there is an increasing number of publications which report the results of research in wildlife species, indicating the existence of a sylvatic cycle and a wildlife reservoir of L. serrata in Europe in addition to the circulation of the parasite among domesticated animals.
While the role of canids in the transmission cycle of L. serrata is well defined, the position of felids and especially that of domestic cats appears to be not that clear. Interestingly, the comprehensive textbook on feline parasitology of Bowman et al. [85] does not notice L. serrata as a parasite of cats at all but refers only to nymphal infestations with the pentastomid Armillifer armillatus whose adults reside in the respiratory tract of large snakes. There are publications which list cats as both final and intermediate hosts of L. serrata [86] or mention cats as final hosts of L. serrata (among others, [54,67,87,88,89]) or consider felids generally as non-competent final hosts of L. serrata [2]. None of these publications provide support for cats acting as final hosts for the parasite or the inadequacy of cats to serve as final hosts. However, there have been several reports which describe the infestation of cats with nymphs of L. serrata, indicating that this parasite is worthy of consideration. Interestingly, the first finding of L. serrata nymphs in a cat [90] was reported just 40 years after the initial description of the parasite from a hare by Frölich in 1789 [91].
Given the limited knowledge and controversial positions on the role of cats as hosts of the pentastomid L. serrata [92], this communication reports a case of a L. serrata nymphal infestation identified in a domestic cat from Albania and aims to provide a synopsis and review of the literature on L. serrata infestation in cats.

2. Case Presentation

In the context of the examination of helminth parasites of domestic cats from the greater Tirana area [93], the lungs of 73 cats were available for the examination of lungworms. For lungworm recovery and count, the airways of the lungs were opened lengthwise using fine scissors, and helminths found in the trachea and bronchi were collected. In order to recover lung parenchyma dwelling small lungworms, the lung tissue was thereafter subjected to peptic digestion, and the digest material was examined under a dissecting microscope [94].
In the lung tissue digest material of an approximately one-year-old male mixed-breed cat examined in July 2010, a nymphal pentastome was revealed and collected. The specimen was mounted in lactophenol for closer examination of its morphology (body shape, hooks, number of cuticular annuli, annular spines) by light microscopy (Figure 1 and Figure 2). The nymph had 73 cuticular annuli, a body length of 4.3 mm, and a maximum body width of 1.2 mm. Two pairs of single hooks were present ventrally on the anterior part of the nymph flanking the mouth opening. Based on the morphological characteristics, which corresponded to the descriptions of nymphs of L. serrata [42,81,95,96], the specimen isolated from the lungs of the cat was identified as a nymph of L. serrata tongue worm.
For completeness, apart from the 1 L. serrata nymph, 64 Aelurostrongylus abstrusus (Railliet, 1898) and 2 Eucoleus aerophilus (Creplin, 1839) were recovered from the lungs of the cat, 8 Toxocara cati (Schrank, 1788), 34 Ancylostoma tubaeforme (Zeder, 1800), and 41 Dipylidium caninum Linnaeus, 1758 from the gastrointestinal tract, and 17 Pearsonema plica (Rudolphi, 1809) from the urinary bladder.

3. Discussion

This case presents the first report of the infestation of a cat with L. serrata (nymphal stage) in Albania and adds to the overall limited number of reports on the infestation of cats with L. serrata reported from Europe, Asia, and South America (Table 1).
Further to the reports summarized in Table 1, a comprehensive review of the parasites of dogs and cats in Austria, which claims to be based on ‘… data documented in the laboratory logbooks of the institute [unpublished], own studies and relevant literature [with references going back to 1852] …’, lists L. serrata as a parasite of both dogs and cats [107]. Unfortunately, neither the studies of the authors nor the referenced literature gave support to the occurrence of L. serrata in Austria. In addition, there is a more recent publication from Egypt reporting the results of the examination of 113 bulk fecal samples buried by stray cats [108]. Examination of the material included gross visual inspection for cestode segments and nematode specimens followed by a centrifugal flotation and identification of parasite eggs and cysts based on their morphology. Apart from fecal stages of various protozoans and helminths, the finding of (loc. cit.) “… two arthropod species, L. serrata (2%) and mites eggs (13%)” was reported. This finding was noted in that paper one more time, (loc. cit.): “Mite eggs and sometimes mites larvae were found in 13% of examined fecal samples as well L. serrata larvae were identified only in two samples (2%)”. Unfortunately, the record of L. serrata was not discussed at all, and the L. serrata findings are inconclusive because it remains unclear which technique was used and which Linguatula stages have actually been observed and/or recovered—Linguatula eggs (which contain the first larval stage) or ‘free’ Linguatula larvae (nymphs, which passaged the gastrointestinal tract following oral ingestion of nymph-containing organs of intermediate hosts). To the best knowledge of the authors, there is no evidence that adult L. serrata have ever been isolated from domestic cats, and cats have never been reported to shed Linguatula eggs. However, considering that L. serrata can be assumed to be abundant in Egypt [89,109,110,111], it may theoretically be imaginable that the fecal material of the cats has been accidentally contaminated by Linguatula eggs containing nasal secretions of dogs harboring adult tongue worms. A passage of nymphs through the gastrointestinal tract may potentially be possible given that the nymph recovered from the cat in the case reported here was isolated by the peptic digestion of the lung tissue, and peptic digestion was used repeatedly for the recovery of L. serrata nymphs from the tissues of ruminants [112,113]. It is, of course, unclear whether pentastomid nymphs will withstand the passage of the entire gastrointestinal tract of cats in a state allowing their recovery from the feces and appropriate identification. The recovery of L. serrata nymphs from feces, after passing the entire gastrointestinal tract, by standard flotation techniques seems rather unlikely. A collection of the nymphs during the gross examination of the feces may be excluded because the author specifically described cestode segments and nematodes targeted by this procedure.
The cat described in this report originated from the greater Tirana area and was examined around the same time when 1 of 602 dogs included in a survey to establish the endoparasite status of client-owned dogs was found shedding L. serrata eggs [63]. The questionnaire for this dog—a working dog from a rural habitat—revealed raw meat/offal feeding as a potential risk factor for contracting L. serrata. Apart from that record, the authors are not aware of any other report on the occurrence of L. serrata in dogs in Albania. However, abattoir-slaughtered cattle, sheep, and goats in Albania have previously been reported to harbor L. serrata nymphs [23], suggesting that a domestic cycle of the transmission of the parasite occurs in the country.
Most L. serrata nymphs in cats were isolated from the lungs and liver, but pleura, peritoneum, and intestine were reported also as locations of the finding of the nymphs (Table 1), indicating that nymphal development in cats may occur throughout the chest and abdominal cavities with the preference of the lungs and liver. The nymphs were found encapsulated in thin-walled, whitish tissue capsules located at the surface of the organs (Table 1). In the case reported here, the nymph was recovered following digestion of the lung tissue. It is therefore not clear whether the nymph was originally encapsulated at the surface of the cat’s lungs or whether the nymph was located within the lung parenchyma. The recovery of L. serrata nymphs from the lung parenchyma has been reported in the past from a dog, but also from hares and rabbits [41,77,81,96,114,115].
The level of infestation in the case reported here with one nymph was very low, as reported in the majority of the cases described in the literature (see Table 1). However, a maximum count of 36 and 14 nymphs recovered from the liver and the lungs, respectively, has been reported from one cat from Croatia [99]. That, in most cases, reference was made to a superficial (subserosal) localization of the encapsulated nymphs may suggest that the figures as to the level of infestation constitute minimum counts because the nymphs encapsulated in the parenchyma of the visceral organs may have been missed as there is only minimal pathology associated with low-level infestation. None of the reports summarized in Table 1 made any reference to specific pathology or clinical signs in the cats, suggesting that the visceral nymphal infestations were unsuspicious, and the recovery of the nymphs during the necropsy of the cats was considered as an additional or accidental finding. However, it may be worth referring to the clinical cases of pulmonary L. serrata pentastomosis reported in heavily infested hares and rabbits [41,115].
The shape of the nymph recovered from the lungs of the cat resembled that of the adult vermiform pentastome, and its size corresponded with measurements obtained from L. serrata nymphs collected from the lungs and liver of cats [99,105,106] and nymphs isolated from various herbivorous species [17,41,81,83,95,96,116].
While the recording of L. serrata nymphs implicates that domestic cats may, in principle, serve as intermediate hosts in the life cycle of L. serrata, the authors did not find any information in the literature on the recovery of adult parasites from cats which would support a role as a final or definitive host of L. serrata for domestic cats. There is, however, experimental work which supports that domestic cats are not suitable final hosts for L. serrata [117,118]. The authors [117,118] inoculated 10 domestic cats orally with various numbers of L. serrata nymphs collected from lymph nodes of sheep and goats, observed the animals for clinical signs, and examined them in intervals from 5 to 60 days after inoculation for the recovery of the parasites. Within a few hours after inoculation, the cats began to sneeze, cough, and shake their heads, with two cats showing sneezing and coughing episodes until necropsy 7 and 14 days after inoculation. Linguatula serrata nymphs, few in total, were recovered mainly from the nasal cavity of the cats up to 14 days post-inoculation; five cats examined from 32 to 60 days after inoculation were completely negative. In this context, it is worth mentioning that the examination of the heads of more than 1500 wild carnivores in Romania, including wolf (n = 407), red fox (n = 712), wild cat (Felis silvestris Schreber, 1777) (n = 88), lynx (Lynx lynx [Linnaeus, 1758]) (n = 30), badger (Meles meles [Linnaeus, 1758]) (n = 65), martens (Martes spp.) (n = 68), least weasel (Mustela nivalis Linnaeus, 1758) (n = 15), stoat (Mustela erminea Linnaeus, 1758) (n = 16), polecat (Mustela putorius Linnaeus, 1758) (n = 106), and raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonides [Gray, 1834]) (n = 7), revealed adult L. serrata only in the canids wolf (64.3%) and red fox (2.2%), as well as in the felid lynx (6.6%) [16]. As a potential reason for the absence of tongue worms in the other species, the authors discuss that the morphology of the upper respiratory tract, especially the smaller dimensions of the nasal turbinates and cavities in these species compared to that in the larger carnivores, does not provide the appropriate conditions for the development of L. serrata nymphs into adult parasites [16].

4. Conclusions

This case of a nymphal L. serrata infestation in a cat from Albania adds to the reports on the finding of this parasite and stage in domestic cats which are documented from several countries worldwide. The infestation of cats appears to be related to the presence of L. serrata cycling in domestic dogs and domestic herbivores as the main definitive host and main intermediate hosts, respectively, and seems to usually be subclinical in nature. Like the herbivorous main intermediate hosts of L. serrata, cats may become infested by the accidental ingestion of the larvated (infectious) Linguatula eggs discharged by a final host with nasal secretions or feces and contaminating feed and/or water. Ingested L. serrata eggs may develop in the visceral organs of cats into nymphs that constitute the infectious stage for the final host. Cats may therefore serve as accidental intermediate hosts for L. serrata. However, cats are unlikely to be of epidemiological relevance in the parasite’s transmission cycle as cats are not known to constitute an important prey of the known definitive hosts. Importantly, the review of the literature did not reveal any evidential information to support that domestic cats can act as final hosts of L. serrata.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, S.R.; investigation, E.V. and M.K.; literature search, analysis, and first draft preparation, E.V. All authors edited the manuscript. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This research received no external funding.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

Not applicable.

Acknowledgments

Martin Visser is thanked for their excellent technical assistance. The authors are grateful to Barbara Hinney, Veli Y. Cirak, and Elias Papadopoulos for their support with reviewing and providing literature on the pentastomid infestation of cats.

Conflicts of Interest

Authors Martin Knaus and Steffen Rehbein ware employed by the company Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

References

  1. Riley, J. The biology of pentastomids. Adv. Parasitol. 1986, 25, 45–128. [Google Scholar] [PubMed]
  2. Paré, J.A. An overview of pentastomiasis in reptiles and other vertebrates. J. Exotic Pet. Med. 2008, 17, 285–294. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  3. Böckeler, W.; Richling, I.; Sattmann, H. Pentastomiden, Pentastomosen und ihre humanmedizinische Bedeutung. Denisia 2010, 30, 411–4126. [Google Scholar]
  4. Hajipour, N.; Tavassoli, M. Prevalence and associated risk factors of Linguatula serrata infection in definitive and intermediate hosts in Iran and other countries: A systematic review. Vet. Parasitol. Reg. Stud. Rep. 2019, 16, 100288. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  5. Tabaripour, R.; Keighobadi, M.; Sharifpour, A.; Azadeh, H.; Shokri, A.; Banimostfavi, E.S.; Fakhar, M.; Abedi, S. Global status of neglected human Linguatula infection: A systematic review of published case reports. Parasitol. Res. 2021, 120, 3045–3050. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  6. Barton, D.P.; Shamsi, S. Diagnosis of pentastome infections and the need for increased awareness among medical practitioners and diagnosticians in the developed world. Curr. Clin. Microbiol. Rep. 2024, 11, 79–87. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  7. Frias, L.; Jenkins, D.J. Linguatula serrata. Trends Parasitol. 2024, 40, 89–90. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  8. Griffiths, R.B.; Sinclair, K.B. The fox as a reservoir of Linguatula serrata in Great Britain. Transact. Roy. Soc. Trop. Med. Hyg. 1953, 47, 5. [Google Scholar]
  9. Nevenić, V. Helminti pasa na teritoriji pojedinih mesta Narodnih Republika Makedonije, Srbije i Crne Gore. Vet. Glasnik 1953, 7, 235–241. [Google Scholar]
  10. Lozanić, B.M. Prilog poznavaniju faune helminata naše lisice (Vulpes vulpes L.). Acta Vet. Beograd 1966, 16, 301–304. [Google Scholar]
  11. Paradižnik, V. Endoparaziti Psa in Mačke iz Urbanega Okolja. Master Thesis, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Yugoslavia, 1984. [Google Scholar]
  12. Esko, S. Endoparaziti Pasa na područja Sarajeva i njihov značaj u ratom okruženju grada. Vet. Sarajevo 1992–1995, 41–44, 113–129. [Google Scholar]
  13. Jažić, A.; Čanković, M.; Zuko, A. Lingvatuloza pasa lutalica na nekim područjima Bosne i Hercegovine. Vet. Sarajevo 1992–1995, 41–44, 231–235. [Google Scholar]
  14. Jažić, A.; Čanković, M.; Zuko, A. Značaj ustanovljenih helmintoza pasa lutalica sa područja Travnika. Vet. Sarajevo 1992–1995, 41–44, 283–287. [Google Scholar]
  15. Jažić, A.; Čanković, M.; Zuko, A. Endohelminti pasa lutalica sa područja Sarajeva. Vet. Sarajevo 1992–1995, 41–44, 289–293. [Google Scholar]
  16. Nesterov, V.; Milla, C.; Ciolofan, I. Frecvenţa parazitului Linguatula serrata (Frölich, 1789) la vínatul din România. Zooţ. Med. Vet. 1991, 41, 29–32. [Google Scholar]
  17. Negrea, O. Linguatuloza la Ierbivore şi Carnivore; Editura AcademicPres: Cluj-Napoca, Romania, 2003. [Google Scholar]
  18. Enigk, K.; Düwel, D. Feststellung und Behandlung des Linguatula-Befalles beim Hund. Dtsch. Tierärztl. Wochenschr. 1957, 64, 401–403. [Google Scholar]
  19. Haralampidis, S.T.; Papazachariadou, M.G.; Koutinas, A.F.; Rallis, T.S. A survey on the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites of dogs in the area of Thessaloniki, Greece. J. Helminthol. 1988, 62, 45–49. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  20. Principato, M.; Polidori, G.A.; Dacamo, F.; Giannetto, S. Nasal pentastomiasis in dogs by Linguatula serrata Frohlich, 1789: Notes on its very high biological potentiality. Parassitologia 1994, 36 (Suppl. S1), 119. [Google Scholar]
  21. Cafiero, M.A.; Cavaliere, N.; Lia, R. Linguatula serrata Frolich 1789 in un cane della Puglia. Atti Soc. Ital. Sci. Vet. 1997, 51, 617–618. [Google Scholar]
  22. Ruiz Prieto, A. Linguatula en ganglios mesentéricos. Cienc. Vet. 1951, 12, 543–547. [Google Scholar]
  23. Kakarriqi, Z.; Dervishi, M.-H. Parasitët e kafshëvet që vijnë për therje dhe damet ekonomike që shkaktohen prej tyne. Bul. Shkencat. Natyre 1952, 6, 3–22. [Google Scholar]
  24. Sinclair, K.B. The incidence and life cycle of Linguatula serrata (Frohlich 1789) in Great Britain. J. Comp. Pathol. 1954, 64, 371–383. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  25. Nardi, E. Ricerche parassitologiche sugli ovini pugliesi. Atti Soc. Ital. Sci. Vet. 1955, 9, 603–606. [Google Scholar]
  26. Buljević, S.; Rendić, Ð. Jeden nalaz Linguatula serrata u jetri goveda. Vet. Glasnik 1958, 12, 544–547. [Google Scholar]
  27. Castellani, G. Sulla pigmentazione delle linfoghiandole mesenteriche del bufalo nell’infestazione da Linguatula serrata (forma larvale). Atti Soc. Ital. Sci. Vet. 1958, 12, 508–512. [Google Scholar]
  28. Danailov, J. Slučai na pentastomoza sas smarten izhod pri koze. Vet. Sbirka 1959, 56, 24–25. [Google Scholar]
  29. Lepojev, O. Helminti ovaca sa područja Homolja i mere za njihovo suzbijanje. Vet. Glasnik 1970, 24, 1001–1005. [Google Scholar]
  30. Lepojev, O.; Šibalić, S.; Cvetković, L.; Tomanović, B. Endoparaziti goveda Brdsko-planinskog područja Valjeva. Acta Parasitol. Jugosl. 1978, 9, 29–35. [Google Scholar]
  31. Valero-Lopez, A.; Romero-Rodrigues, J.; Guevara-Pozo, D. Linguatulosis caprina en Granada (España). Rev. Ibér. Parasitol. 1980, 40, 565–566. [Google Scholar]
  32. Panebianco, A.; Macrì, B. Indagine della linguatulosi polmonare nei bovini. Studio anatomo-istopatologico e considerazioni ispettive. Atti Soc. Ital. Buiatr. 1987, 19, 515–529. [Google Scholar]
  33. Dorchies, P.; Ducos de Lahitte, L.; Pangui, L.J.; Alzieu, J.P. Recherche de Fasciola hepatica, Dicrocoelium lanceolatum et Linguatula denticulata, dans le foies de bovins saisis a l’abattoir de Pamiers (Ariège-France). Rev. Méd. Vét. 1988, 139, 307–309. [Google Scholar]
  34. Cozma, V.; Rotaru, O.; Bahcivangi, S.; Mateş, D.; Bozdog, C.; Heiuş, D. Semnalarea linguatulozei la caprine din mari colectivităţi. Simp. Act. Patol. Anim. Domest. 1988, 14, 696–700. [Google Scholar]
  35. Sotiraki, S.; Himonas, C. Larval pentastomiasis in small ruminants. In Proceedings of the 17th International Conference of the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology, Copenhagen, Denmark, 15–19 August 1999. No. G.6.20. [Google Scholar]
  36. Nevenić, V.; Lozanić, B. Linguatuloza pluća zeca. God. Inst. Lovstvo 1957, 4, 144–148. [Google Scholar]
  37. Lungu, V.; Stoican, E.; Nesterov, V. Linguatuloza preimaginală la iepurele sălbatic. Probl. Parazitol. Vet. 1961, 9, 131–134. [Google Scholar]
  38. Nesterov, V.; Almăşan, H.; Scărlătescu, G.; Ciolofan, I.; Cristescu, P. Parasitäre Erkrankungen und Infektionskrankheiten beim Rehwild (Capreolus capreolus) in Rumänien. In Abstracts of the Meeting of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations, 1970, Varparanta, Finland; International Union: Varparanta, Finland, 1970; Volume Sect 26, pp. 1–4. [Google Scholar]
  39. Moreno Montañez, T.; Becerra Martell, C.; López-Cozar, I.N. Contribución al conocimiento de los parásitos de la liebre Lepus capensis. Rev. Ibér. Parasitol. 1979, 39, 383–393. [Google Scholar]
  40. Martínez-Gómez, F.; Hernández-Rodríguez, S.; Rey, J.C.; Moreno-Montañez, T.; Acosta, I. Parasitocoenosis of Lepus capensis in the south of Spain. Verhber. Erkrank. Zootiere 1987, 29, 347–352. [Google Scholar]
  41. Alcouffe, T.; Ducos de Lahitte, L.; Ducos de Lahitte, B. Étude épidémiologique du parasitisme de l’isard (Rupicapra pyrenaica). Rev. Méd. Vét. 1992, 143, 207–211. [Google Scholar]
  42. Panaiotova, M.; Mutafova, T.; Radev, V.; Kanev, I.; Nestorov, M. Some data of the morphology of Linguatula serrata Froelich, 1789 and the clinical symptoms of disease. Exp. Pathol. Parasitol. 1999, 2, 55–59. [Google Scholar]
  43. Gothe, R.; Barutzki, D.; Schöl, H.; Heinen, H. Importierte Infestationen nasopharyngealer Parasiten beim Hund. Tierärztl. Praxis 1991, 19, 84–87. [Google Scholar]
  44. Globokar Vrhovec, M.; Pantchev, N.; Norden, C.; Kilo, A. Linguatula-serrata-Befall bei vier importierten Hunden. Kleintierpraxis 2005, 50, 779–784. [Google Scholar]
  45. Gjerde, B. Phylogenetic position of Linguatula arctica and Linguatula serrata (Pentastomida) as inferred from the nuclear 18S rRNA gene and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene. Parasitol. Res. 2013, 112, 3517–3525. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  46. Mitchell, S.; Bell, I.; Wright, R.; Wall, R.; Jeckel, D.; Blake, D.; Marshall, P.; Andrews, C.; Lee, M.; Walsh, A. Tongue worm (Linguatula species) in stray dogs imported into the UK. Vet. Rec. 2016, 179, 259–260. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  47. Villedieu, E.; Sanchez, R.F.; Jepson, R.E.; Ter Haar, G. Nasal infestation by Linguatula serrata in a dog in the UK: A case report. J. Small Anim. Pract. 2017, 58, 183–186. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  48. Springer, A.; Fiedler, H.; Raue, K.; Strube, C. Linguatula serrata-Befall bei einem Importhund aus Rumänien. Tierärztl. Praxis K 2018, 46, 260–264. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  49. Thomas, M. Linguatula serrata in an imported Romanian street dog. Vet. Rec. 2018, 182, 112–113. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  50. Wright, I. Threat of extic worms in dogs imported from Romania. Vet. Rec. 2020, 187, 348–349. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  51. Sievänen, M.; Pohjoismäki, J.; Saari, S.; Miro, G.; Näreaho, A. The first Linguatula serrata case in an imported dog in Finland. Vet. Parasitol. Reg. Stud. Rep. 2021, 26, 100654. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  52. Berberich, M.; Grochow, T.; Roßner, N.; Schmäschke, R.; Renteria-Solis, Z. Linguatula serrata in an imported dog in Germany: Single case or emerging disease? Vet. Parasitol. Reg. Stud. Rep. 2022, 30, 100717. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  53. Macrelli, M.; Mackintosh, A. Tongue worm (Linguatula serrata) infection in a dog imported into the United Kingdom from Romania. Vet. Rec. Case Rep. 2022, 10, e281. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  54. Marchetti, V.; Macchioni, F.; Gori, E.; Venco, L.; Papini, R.A. Linguatula serrata (Pentastomida: Linguatulidae) infection in a paucisymptomatic greyhound imported from Romania to Italy: A case report and literature overview. Open Vet. J. 2023, 13, 1044–1055. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  55. Mureşan, A.; Cozma, V.; Gherman, C.; Magdaş, C.; Gabor, I. Incidenţa endoparaziţilor la câinii comunitari din Cluj-Napoca. Sci. Parasitol. 2002, 2, 107–110. [Google Scholar]
  56. Paoletti, B.; Peli, A.; Traversa, D.; Ragaini, L. La linguatulosi nel cane. Analisi della letteratura e segnalazione di un caso in Abruzzo. Obiett. Doc. Vet. 2003, 24, 37–43. [Google Scholar]
  57. Negrea, O. Incidenţa principalelor endoparazitoze digestive şi rinosinusale la câine din mediul rural. Clujul Med. Vet. 2005, 8, 23–25. [Google Scholar]
  58. Negrea, O.; Liviu, O.; Miclaus, V.; Mirsean, V.; Răducu, C.; Marchis, Z. Diagnosis epidemiologic observations in dog linguatulosis. Lucr. Sţiin. Med. Vet. Univ. Sţiin. Agr. Vet. Med. Iaşi 2009, 52, 694–697. [Google Scholar]
  59. Bello Gavete, A.M.; Layos, C.; Meana, A.; Rupérez, C.; Miró, G. Linguatulosis caninas: Parasitología clínica a través de cinco casos. Canis Felis 2013, 125, 62–72. [Google Scholar]
  60. Kirkova, Z.; Iliev, P.; Silaghi, C.; Rehbein, S.; Knaus, M. Fecal examination of dogs (Canis familiaris) in Bulgaria. In Proceedings of the Meeting of the German Society of Veterinary Medicine, Parasitoly and Parasitic Diseases, Gießen, Germany, 8–10 July 2013; pp. 30–31. [Google Scholar]
  61. Bordicchia, M.; Falcioni, D.; Scarpona, S.; Rossi, G. Nasal carcinoma in a dog with Linguatula serrata infection. Vet. Rec. Case Rep. 2014, 2, e000015. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  62. Csordás, F.; Pávlovics, I.; Csordás, T.; Lengyel, B. Linguatula serrata előfordulása kutyában. Kisállat Praxis 2014, 15, 64–67. [Google Scholar]
  63. Shukullari, E.; Hamel, D.; Rapti, D.; Pfister, K.; Visser, M.; Winter, R.; Rehbein, S. Parasites and vector-borne diseases in client-owned dogs in Albania. Intestinal and pulmonary endoparasite infections. Parasitol. Res. 2015, 114, 4579–4590. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  64. Ioniţă, M.; Mitrea, I.L. Linguatula serrata (Pentastomida: Linguatulidae) infection in dog, Romania. AgroLife Sci. J. 2016, 5, 85–89. [Google Scholar]
  65. Iliev, P.T.; Kirkova, Z.T.; Tonev, A.S. Preliminary study on the prevalence of endoparasite infections and vector-borne diseases in outdoor dogs in Bulgaria. Helminthologia 2020, 57, 171–178. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  66. Campbell, E.; Jones, A. Tongue worm in an untravelled dog in the UK. Vet. Rec. 2023, 192, 337–338. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  67. Lefkaditis, M.; Zapantes, I.; Giannouli, A. Management of Linguatula serrata infestation in a dog from Greece: A case report. J. Hellenic Vet. Med. Soc. 2023, 74, 6281–6285. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  68. Dimzas, D.; Morelli, S.; Colombo, M.; Di Cesare, A.; Martinis, D.; Dourdas, G.; Diakou, A. Unusual parasitoses in urban dogs: Urinary capillariosis and linguatulosis, cases report. Vet. Parasitol. Reg. Stud. Rep. 2024, 27, 100949. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  69. Gherman, C.; Cozma, V.; Mircean, V.; Budaşcă, F.; Rus, N.; Detesan, A. Zoonoze helmintice la specii de carnivore sălbatice din fauna României. Sci. Parasitol. 2002, 2, 17–21. [Google Scholar]
  70. Diakou, A.; Karaiosif, R.; Petridou, M.; Illopoulos, Y. Endoparasites of the wolf (Canis lupus) in central Greece. In Proceedings of the European Wildlife Diseases Association Conference, Edinburgh, UK, 26–29 August 2014; p. 113. [Google Scholar]
  71. Hodžić, A.; Alić, A.; Klebić, I.; Kadrić, M.; Brianti, E.; Duscher, G.G. Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) as a potential reservoir host of cardiorespiratory parasites in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Vet. Parasitol. 2016, 223, 63–70. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  72. Gherman, C.M.; Mihalca, A.D. A synoptic overview of golden jackal parasites reveals high diversity of species. Parasit. Vect. 2017, 10, 419. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  73. Pavlović, I.; Penezić, A.; Ćosić, N.; Burazerović, J.; Maletić, V.; Ćirović, D. First report of Linguatula serrata in grey wolf (Canis lupus) from central Balkans. J. Hellenic Vet. Med. Soc. 2017, 68, 687–690. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  74. Barton, D.P.; Gherman, C.M.; Zhu, X.; Shamsi, S. Characterization of tongue worms, Linguatula spp. (Pentastomida) in Romania, with the first record of an unknown adult Linguatula from roe deer (Capreolus capreolus Linnaeus). Parasitol. Res. 2022, 121, 2379–2388. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  75. Raele, D.A.; Petrella, A.; Troiano, P.; Cafiero, M.A. Linguatula serrata (Fröhlich, 1789) in gray wolf (Canis lupus) from Italy: A neglected zoonotic parasite. Pathogens 2022, 11, 1523. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  76. Diakou, A.; Sokos, C.; Papadopoulos, E. Endoparasites found in European brown hares (Lepus europaeus) hunted in Macedonia, Greece. Helminthologia 2014, 51, 345–351. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  77. Liatis, T.K.; Monastridis, A.A.; Birlis, P.; Prousali, S.; Diakou, A. Endoparasites of wild mammals sheltered in wildlife hospitals and rehabilitation centres in Greece. Front. Vet. Sci. 2017, 4, 220. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  78. Panayotova-Pencheva, M.; Trifonova, A.; Dakova, V. Pathomorphological features of lungs from brown hare infected with parasites. Int. J. Anim. Vet. Sci. 2018, 12, 444–447. [Google Scholar]
  79. Panayotova-Pencheva, M.S.; Trifonova, A.P.; Dakova, V.I.; Zhelev, C. Epidemiology of lung parasites of European brown hare (Lepus europaeus L.) from Bulgaria. Bulg. J. Vet. Med. 2019, 22, 478–486. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  80. Panayotova-Pencheva, M.S. Endoparasites of the European brown hare (Lepus europaeus Pallas, 1778 L.) (Lagomorpha: Leporidae) from Bulgaria. Ann. Parasitol. 2022, 68, 553–562. [Google Scholar]
  81. Jitea, B.A.-M.; Imre, M.; Florea, T.; Sîrbu, C.B.; Luca, I.; Stancu, A.; Cireşan, A.C.; Dărăbus, G. Characterization of the tongue worm, Linguatula serrata (Pentastomida), identified from hares (Lepus europaeus) in Romania. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24, 12927. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  82. Negrea, O.; Răducu, C.; Mirsean, V.; Marchis, Z.; Miclaus, V.; Chirila, F.; Rotar, A. Aspects regarding epizootic metalingualosis in main domestic ruminant species. Lucr. Sţiin. Med. Vet. Univ. Sţiin. Agr. Vet. Med. Iaşi 2010, 53, 1106–1110. [Google Scholar]
  83. Ivanov, A.; Kirkova, Z.; Iliev, P.; Uzunova, K. A case of Pentastomum denticulatum infection in goats. Istanbul Üniv. Vet. Fak. Derg. 2012, 38, 191–195. [Google Scholar]
  84. Capogna, A.; Paradies, P.; Lia, R.P.; Petazzi, F. On the presence of nymphs in mesenteric lymph nodes of small ruminants in southern Italy. Atti Soc. Ital. Sci. Vet. 2015, 69, 114. [Google Scholar]
  85. Bowman, D.D.; Hendrix, C.M.; Lindsay, D.S.; Barr, S.C. Feline Clinical Parasitology; Iowa State Univ Press: Ames, IA, USA, 2002. [Google Scholar]
  86. Neveu-Lemaire, M. Essai de mammalogie médicale. II. Les mammifères hôtes intermédiaires ou hôtes définitifs des helminthes parasites de l’homme et ceux qui hébergent des parasites qui leur sont communs avec l’espèce humaine. Ann. Parasitol. Hum. Comp. 1928, 6, 107–131. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  87. Meyers, W.M.; Neafie, R.C.; Connor, D.H. Pentastomiasis. In Pathology of Tropical and Extraordinary Diseases; Binford, C.H., Connor, D.H., Eds.; Armed Forces Inst. Pathol.: Washington, DC, USA, 1976; Volume 2. [Google Scholar]
  88. Taylor, M.A.; Coop, R.L.; Wall, R.L. Veterinary Parasitology, 4th ed.; Wiley Blackwell: Chichester, UK, 2016. [Google Scholar]
  89. Attia, M.M.; Mahdy, O.A.; Saleh, N.M.K. Prevalence of Linguatula serrata (Order: Pentastomida) nymphs parasitizing camels and goats with experimental infestation of dogs in Egypt. Int. J. Adv. Res. Biol. Sci. 2017, 4, 197–205. [Google Scholar]
  90. Creplin, F.C.H. Novae Observationes de Entozois; Verl. F. Dummler: Berlin, Germany, 1829. [Google Scholar]
  91. Frölich, A.J. Beschreibung einiger neuer Eingeweidewürmer. Naturforscher 1789, 24, 101–162. [Google Scholar]
  92. Shamsi, S.; McSpadden, K.; Baker, S.; Jenkins, D.J. Occurrence of the tongue worm, Linguatula cf. serrata (Pentastomida: Linguatulidae) in wild canids and livestock in south eastern Australia. Int. J. Parasitol. Parasit. Wildl. 2017, 6, 271–277. [Google Scholar]
  93. Knaus, M.; Postoli, R.; Rapti, D.; Xhaxhiu, D.; Visser, M.; Winter, R.; Dimitrova, Z.; Rehbein, S. Helminthen bei Katzen aus dem Großraum Tirana. In Proceedings of the Meeting of the German Society of Veterinary Medicine, Parasitoly and Parasitic Diseases, Gießen, Germany, 2–4 July 2012; p. 22. [Google Scholar]
  94. Rehbein, S.; Visser, M. Efficacy of ivermectin delivered via a controlled-release capsule against small lungworms (Protostrongylidae) in sheep. J. Vet. Med. B 2002, 49, 313–316. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  95. Rezaei, F.; Tavassoli, M.; Hashemnia, M.; Naem, S.; Gholizadeh, M. Some morphological data of various stages of Linguatula serrata. Istanbul Üniv. Vet. Fak. Derg. 2016, 42, 38–46. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  96. Barton, D.P.; Baker, A.; Porter, M.; Zhu, X.; Jenkins, D.; Shamsi, S. Verification of rabbits as intermediate hosts for Linguatula serrata (Pentastomida) in Australia. Parasitol. Res. 2020, 119, 1553–1562. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  97. Wagner, E. Handbuch der allgemeinen Pathologie, 7th ed.; Verl. O. Wiegand: Leipzig, Germany, 1876. [Google Scholar]
  98. Neumann, L.-G. Traité des Maladies Parasitaires Non Microbiennes des Animaux Domestiques, 2nd ed.; Asselin et Houzeau: Paris, France, 1892. [Google Scholar]
  99. Erlich, I. Parazitička fauna mačaka iz Zagreba i zagrebačke okolice. Vet. Arh. 1938, 8, 13–34. [Google Scholar]
  100. Haralampides, S.T. Contribution to the study of cat’s parasites and their public health importance. Hellenic Vet. Med. 1978, 21, 117–119. [Google Scholar]
  101. Burgu, A.; Tınar, R.; Doğanay, A.; Toparlak, M. Ankara’da sokak kedilerinin ekto- ve endoparazitleri üzerinde. Ankara Üniv. Vet. Fak. Derg. 1985, 32, 288–300. [Google Scholar]
  102. Altaş, M.G.; Taşan, E. Elaziğ ili kirsal yöre kedilerinde ekto- ve endoparazitler ve bunlarin halk sağliği yönünden önemi. Firat Üniv. Vet. Fak. Sağlik Bilimleri Derg. 1999, 13, 233–242. [Google Scholar]
  103. Esmaeilzadeh, S.; Mohammadian, B.; Rezaei, A. Linguatula serrata nymph in a cat. Iran J. Vet. Res. 2008, 9, 387–389. [Google Scholar]
  104. Rahman, S.A.; Islam, M.J.; Begum, N.; Ali, M.A.; Bari, A.S.M. Prevalence and pathology of arthropod infestation in domestic and stray cats in Bangladesh. Bangladesh J. Vet. Med. 2009, 7, 287–292. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  105. Ibáñez, N. Linguatula serrata: Forma larvaria en gato doméstico. Bol. Chil. Parasitol. 1969, 24, 160–162. [Google Scholar] [PubMed]
  106. Torres, P.; Hott, A.; Boehmwald, H. Protozoos, helmintos y artrópodos en gatos de la ciudad de Valdivia y su importancia para el hombre. Arch. Vet. Med. 1972, 4, 20–29. [Google Scholar]
  107. Supperer, R.; Hinaidy, H.K. Ein Beitrag zum Parasitenbefall der Hunde und Katzen in Österreich. Dtsch. Tierärztl. Wochenschr. 1986, 93, 383–386. [Google Scholar]
  108. Khalafalla, R.E. A survey study on gastrointestinal parasites of stray cats in northern region of Nile delta, Egypt. PLoS ONE 2011, 6, e20283. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  109. Khalil, G.M. Linguatula serrata from mongrel dogs in El-Dakhla oasis (Egypt). J. Parasitol. 1973, 59, 288. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  110. Khalil, G.M. Prevalence of Linguatula serrata infection in animals from the Cairo abattoir. J. Parasitol. 1976, 62, 126. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  111. El-Sherry, M.L.; Sakla, A.A. On a linguatulid parasite, Linguatula serrata (Pentastomida: Arthropoda) from an Egyptian goat. Assiut Vet. Med. J. 1984, 12, 124–128. [Google Scholar]
  112. Rezaei, H.; Ashrafihelan, J.; Nematollahi, A.; Mostafavi, E. The prevalence of Linguatula serrata nymphs in goats slaughtered in Tabriz, Iran. J. Parasit. Dis. 2012, 26, 200–202. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  113. Esmaeilnejad, B.; Gharekhani, J.; Rezaei, H.; Golabi, M.; Molayi, N. Prevalence of Linguatula serrata infection in domestic ruminants from Meshkin Shahr, Iran. J. Hellenic Vet. Med. Soc. 2017, 68, 175–180. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  114. Ohbayashi, M.; Ohshima, K. On a case of canine linguatuliasis and ist role as the intermediate host. Jap. J. Vet. Res. 1954, 2, 48–54. [Google Scholar]
  115. Keleş, Ö.F. A case of pulmonary linguatulosis in a rabbit. Vet. Res. Forum 2024, 15, 261–265. [Google Scholar] [PubMed]
  116. Gomez-Puerta, L.A.; Pacheco, J.I.; Angulo-Tisoc, J.M.; Lopez-Urbina, M.T.; Gonzalez, A.E. First finding of nymphal stages of Linguatula serrata in a Southamerican camelid, a vicuña from Peru. Vet. Parasitol. 2017, 244, 21–24. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  117. Khalil, G.M. Experimental Studies on the Etiology of Halzoun. Master’s Thesis, Dep. Trop. Health., American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon, 1964. [Google Scholar]
  118. Khalil, G.M.; Schacher, J.F. Linguatula serrata in relation to halzoun and the marrara syndrome. Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 1965, 14, 736–746. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Biology 13 01073 g001
Figure 1. Nymph of Linguatula serrata collected from the lungs of a cat.
Figure 1. Nymph of Linguatula serrata collected from the lungs of a cat.
Biology 13 01073 g001
Biology 13 01073 g002
Figure 2. Anterior end of nymph of Linguatula serrata collected from the lungs of a cat, with central mouth opening flanked by two pairs of hooks (ventral view).
Figure 2. Anterior end of nymph of Linguatula serrata collected from the lungs of a cat, with central mouth opening flanked by two pairs of hooks (ventral view).
Biology 13 01073 g002
Table 1. Synopsis of publications reporting on the finding of Linguatula serrata nymphs (visceral pentastomosis) in domestic cats.
Table 1. Synopsis of publications reporting on the finding of Linguatula serrata nymphs (visceral pentastomosis) in domestic cats.
Country of StudyTime/Period of StudyNecropsy TypeFindings, Examination TechniquesNumber of Nymph-Positive Cats/Number of Cats ExaminedNumber of Nymphs
Isolated per Cat		Reference
Germany1824No
information		Gross examination, microscopy; small whitish cyst at liver surface with one nymph1/Unknown
(case report)		2 (liver)[90]
No informationRoutine necropsyGross examination, microscopy; two small cysts at surface of the lungs, one calcified; one nymph per cyst1/Unknown
(case report)		2 (lungs)[97]
FranceNo informationParasitological
Necropsy 1		Gross examination, microscopy; one cat with one cyst at pleura, one cat with one cyst at peritoneum, three cats with cysts (1 to 5) at lungs’ surface5/761 (pleura),
1 (peritoneum),
1 to 5 (lungs)		[98]
CroatiaNo information
(likely close prior to report)		Parasitological
necropsy		Gross examination, microscopy; one cat with cysts at liver + lungs’ surface (36 and 14, respectively), one cat with cysts (2) at liver surface; one nymph per cyst2/1002 and 36 (liver),
14 (lungs)		[99]
Greece01/1974–09/1977Parasitological
necropsy		Gross examination, microscopy; nymphs collected from the surface of the liver of three cats3/123No information (liver)[100] 2
Albania2008–2010Parasitological
necropsy		Peptic digestion of the total lung tissue after opening of the lungs’ air passages, microscopy; one nymph isolated from the tissue digest of one cat1/731 (lungs)This report
Turkey05/1981–
01/1984		Parasitological
necropsy		Gross examination, microscopy; two cats with one cyst per cat; one nymph per cyst2/1001 (intestine),
1 (liver)		[101]
1995–1997Parasitological
necropsy		Gross examination, microscopy; one cat with one cyst at liver surface containing one nymph1/1001 (liver)[102]
IranNo information
(likely close to prior report)		Routine necropsyGross examination, microscopy, histopathology; one cat with few white, fine nodules at lungs’ surface1/Unknown
(case report)		“few” (lungs)[103]
Bangladesh07/2006–06/2007Parasitological
necropsy (only respiratory tract)		Gross examination, microscopy, histopathology; five cats with nymphs5/361 to 4 (“… larynx to lungs …”)[104]
Peru1968Routine necropsyGross examination, microscopy; one cat with two nymphs in the lungs1/Unknown
(case report)		2 (lungs)[105]
Chile03/1970–12/1971Parasitological
necropsy		Gross examination, microscopy; nymphs in the lungs, liver, and lungs + liver of eight, three, and one cats, respectively12/1001 to 4 (1, 2, 3, and 4 nymphs isolated from 7, 3, 1 and 1 cat, respectively)[106]
1 Parasitological necropsy (includes routine examination of the gastrointestinal tract with liver, heart, respiratory tract, and urinary tract for parasites). 2 Information on organ and period of study provided by E. Papadopoulos after reviewing the thesis of S. T. Haralampidis (in Greek) which was the basis for the summary published in 1987 (personal communication, 18 June 2024).
Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Vokshi, E.; Knaus, M.; Rehbein, S. A Rare Parasite in Cats: Record of a Linguatula serrata Frölich, 1789 (Porocephalida, Linguatulidae) Nymphal Infestation in a Cat in Albania, with a Synopsis and Review of the Literature on L. serrata Infestation in Cats. Biology 2024, 13, 1073. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13121073

AMA Style

Vokshi E, Knaus M, Rehbein S. A Rare Parasite in Cats: Record of a Linguatula serrata Frölich, 1789 (Porocephalida, Linguatulidae) Nymphal Infestation in a Cat in Albania, with a Synopsis and Review of the Literature on L. serrata Infestation in Cats. Biology. 2024; 13(12):1073. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13121073

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vokshi, Enstela, Martin Knaus, and Steffen Rehbein. 2024. "A Rare Parasite in Cats: Record of a Linguatula serrata Frölich, 1789 (Porocephalida, Linguatulidae) Nymphal Infestation in a Cat in Albania, with a Synopsis and Review of the Literature on L. serrata Infestation in Cats" Biology 13, no. 12: 1073. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13121073

APA Style

Vokshi, E., Knaus, M., & Rehbein, S. (2024). A Rare Parasite in Cats: Record of a Linguatula serrata Frölich, 1789 (Porocephalida, Linguatulidae) Nymphal Infestation in a Cat in Albania, with a Synopsis and Review of the Literature on L. serrata Infestation in Cats. Biology, 13(12), 1073. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13121073

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop