Redalyc.Presence of Toxocara Spp. in Domestic Cats in the State of Mexico
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Acta Scientiae Veterinariae ISSN: 1678-0345 [email protected] Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Brasil Rodríguez Gallegos, Lucila Marilú; Romero Núñez, Camilo; Bautista Gómez, Linda Guiliana; Martínez Castañeda, José Simón; Heredia Cardenas, Rafael Presence of Toxocara spp. in Domestic Cats in the State of Mexico Acta Scientiae Veterinariae, vol. 44, 2016, pp. 1-5 Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Porto Alegre, Brasil Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=289043697002 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative Acta Scientiae Veterinariae, 2016. 44: 1351. RESEARCH ARTICLE ISSN 1679-9216 Pub. 1351 Presence of Toxocara spp. in Domestic Cats in the State of Mexico Lucila Marilú Rodríguez Gallegos1, Camilo Romero Núñez2, Linda Guiliana Bautista Gómez2, José Simón Martínez Castañeda3 & Rafael Heredia Cardenas4 ABSTRACT Background: Toxocara spp. is a gastrointestinal nematode with cosmopolitan distribution and is the most common parasite in domestic cats, which can deposit fertilized eggs in the environment with feces. Egg maturation starts in the soil, conclud- ing two to three weeks after cat defecation, but eggs can remain viable in the soil for years and spread onto vegetables and into water. Infection of cats and paratenic hosts (among them humans) occurs through ingestion of infected eggs from the environment, through ingestion of paratenic hosts and, in puppies, through milk from infected mothers. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the presence of Toxocara spp. in domestic cats. Materials Methods & Results: In this study, 229 fecal samples from domestic cats were collected in the state of Mexico, Mexico. All of cats had an owner, and fresh feline feces were collected in previously labeled sterile bottles. Coproparasi- tological examinations were performed on these samples using a flotation technique with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium nitrate (NaNO3), Toxocara spp. eggs were identified under the microscope, in accordance with the morphological descriptions. The data were analyzed by means of Fisher’s exact test in order to compare the presence of Toxocara eggs according to cat age and sex. The chi-square test was used to determine associations between variables and odds ratios (OR) were calculated to determine the risk factors. Presence of Toxocara spp. eggs was identified in 42% (96/229) of the cats, of which 23% were males and 19% females. We did find an association between cats under the age of six months (P = 0.01) and the presence of Toxocara spp. eggs, and therefore age was determined to be a risk factor (OR = 1.69) for the presence of Toxocara spp. eggs in feces, cats over one year old showed a statistically significant association (P = 0.02) with the presence of parasite eggs in feces. The presence of Toxocara spp. was found to be a risk factor (OR = 1.57) among male cats aged less than 6 months, while among female cats a statistically significant association was found (P = 0.03) for the presence of Toxocara spp. Meanwhile, comparing positive cats of both sexes with age, a statistically significant difference (P = 0.02) was found regarding cats over one year old. Discussion: It were identified Toxocara spp. eggs in 42% of the feces of domestic cats from the state of Mexico. These results are similar to those reported by other studies in Mexico City, they also reported that there was a larger number of infected cats under one year of age and that males had higher infection rates. Comparison of both sexes with age showed a statistically significant association (P = 0.01) between cats under six months old and the presence of Toxocara eggs in feces. This age was also considered to be a risk factor (OR = 1.69) for parasite eggs in feces, during the first months of life, the larvae migrate and finish their cycle, but when the cat has reached its mature stage, the larvae may become entrenched and avoid finishing their life cycle. Male sex was identified as a risk factor for the presence of Toxocara spp. The prevalence of Toxocara spp. in domestic cats in the state of Mexico is high, and represents a potential risk of human toxocariasis. From the results found, it can be considered that cats are a major source of dissemination of environmental pollution and Toxocara spp. Keywords: Toxocara, cats, zoonosis, risk factor. Received: 4 September 2015 Accepted: 26 March 2016 Published: 23 April 2016 1Maestría en Ciencias Agropecuarias y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México (UAEM). 2Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Centro Universitario UAEM-Amecameca. 3Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados en Salud Animal de la Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, UAEM. 4Doctorado en Ciencias Agropecuarias y Recursos Naturales, UAEM. CORRESPONDENCE: C. Romero [[email protected] - Tel: +01 (597) 9782158]. Carretera Amecameca Ayapango km 2.5. C.P. 56900 Amecameca de Juárez, México. 1 L.M.R. Gallegos, C.R. Núñez, L.G.B. Gómez, et al . 2016. Presence of Toxocara spp. in Domestic Cats in the State of Mexico. Acta Scientiae Veterinariae. 44: 1351. INTRODUCTION ml of 5% sodium hydroxide (NaOH). This was then Pets play an important role in welfare and hu- mixed and put into a test tube and centrifuged at 800 man health in different countries [12,18]. Dogs and cats x g for 3 min. The supernatant was discarded, leav- are the domestic animals that are most preferred, even ing only the sediment, which was then resuspended though they present risks as hosts and transmitters of in added water, for a second round of centrifuging zoonotic diseases, including those caused by parasites at 800 x g. This procedure was repeated three times [19]. Toxocara cati is the most common parasite in do- with water to clean the samples. The water was then mestic cats [10], although cats can also host other species removed and sodium nitrate (NaNO3) was added at a such as Toxocara canis [14], Toxocara malaysiensis [31] density of 1.30. This mixture was then resuspended and other nematodes like Toxascaris leonina [15], which and centrifuged again at 800 x g for 3 min. Finally, can end their life cycle and deposit fertilized eggs in the the tube was filled with sodium nitrate, thus forming environment. All of these have the capacity to infect a meniscus in the tube with a cover slip over it, and other mammals, including humans [22]. Toxocara spp. was incubated for 20 min. Next, Toxocara spp. eggs females can oviposit up to 200,000 eggs a day, with up were identified under the microscope, in accordance to 200 grams of eggs in one gram of feces. Egg matura- with the morphological descriptions of Bouchet [5]. tion starts in the soil, concluding two to three weeks after The data were analyzed by means of Fisher’s cat defecation [29,9], but eggs can remain viable in the exact test in order to compare the presence of Toxocara soil for years and spread onto vegetables and into water eggs according to cat age and sex. The chi-square test [3]. Infection of cats and paratenic hosts (among them was used to determine associations between variables humans) occurs through ingestion of infected eggs from and odds ratios (OR) were calculated to determine the the environment, through ingestion of paratenic hosts risk factors that presented significance (P < 0.05). All and, in puppies, through milk from infected mothers [2]. the tests were conducted using the JMP® 8.0 software1. Domestic cats are considered to be one of the RESULTS most efficient parasite disseminators, because of their habit of roaming outside the home, entering distant The presence of Toxocara spp. eggs was identi- spaces and defecating in them [1]. In humans, infection fied in 42% (96/229) of the cats, of which 23% were with Toxocara spp. is known as toxocariasis, and this males and 19% females. No significant difference disease can develop as an important series of clinical between the sexes was found (P = 0.55), although the manifestations that can be classified as follows: visceral male cats showed a higher risk factor (OR = 1.57) for larvae, ocular larva migrans, eosinophilic meningitis, the presence of Toxocara spp. eggs in feces. covert toxocariasis and neurotoxocariasis [6]. For this According to the age classification, cats over one reason, the objective of the present study was to evalu- year old showed the largest percentage of positives (18%); ate the presence of Toxocara spp. in domestic cats in however, there was no statistically significant difference the state of Mexico. between the different age groups (Table 1). We did find an association between cats under the age of six months (P = MATERIALS AND METHODS 0.01) and the presence of Toxocara spp. eggs, and there- The present study was based on 229 domestic fore age was determined to be a risk factor (OR = 1.69) cats in the state of Mexico, comprising 109 males and for the presence of Toxocara spp. eggs in feces (Table 2). 120 females of various ages, which were classified as Cats over one year old showed a statistically significant under six months old, six months to one year old and association (P = 0.02) with the presence of parasite eggs over one year old. All of these cats had an owner, and in feces. In comparing age groups within each sex, there fresh feline feces were collected in previously labeled was no statistically significant difference with regard to sterile bottles and stored at 4°C until processed. The different male age groups (P = 0.12); however, a statisti- feces were processed by means of a coproparasitologi- cally significant difference (P = 0.03) was found regard- cal method for identifying Toxocara spp.