Prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis, Dipylidium caninum and Taenia spp. in populations of cats from shelters and research colonies, in two endemic regions of eastern Australia

Abstract

There is a paucity of available prevalence data for key parasite species and genera infecting cats in Australia. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of key parasites infecting cats in Australia, namely the feline heartworm, Dirofilaria immitis, and the cestodes Dipylidium caninum and Taenia spp. The prevalence of these parasites was assessed in cat populations in five separate locations of eastern Australia and within two geographical regions: humid subtropical and oceanic. A total of 141 cats were enrolled in this study. Of these, 91 were tested for D. immitis by feline heartworm antigen/antibody testing, 93 samples were tested for Di. caninum and Taenia spp. by faecal floatation and a subset of 48 cat samples were tested for Di. caninum and Taenia spp. by PCR performed on peri-anal swabs. Test results were negative for the two species with a single positive result observed for Taenia spp. Point estimates of prevalence were therefore 0% for feline heartworm and Di. caninum and 1.1% for Taenia spp. Associated 95% confidence intervals around the point estimate were 0–4.1% for feline heartworm, 0–3.9% for Di. caninum and 0–5.8% for Taenia spp. It should be noted that estimates were calculated using nominal values for test sensitivity and specificity; however, the overall prevalence of all three parasite species in these geographical regions is likely to be minimal based on the data from this study.