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Descriptive epidemiology of intestinal helminth parasites from stray cat populations in Qatar

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 March 2008

M.A. Abu-Madi ,
P. Pal ,
A. Al-Thani  and
J.W. Lewis
M.A. Abu-Madi*
Affiliation:
Department of Health Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, PO Box 2713, Doha, Qatar
P. Pal
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX, UK
A. Al-Thani
Affiliation:
Department of Health Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, PO Box 2713, Doha, Qatar
J.W. Lewis
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX, UK
*
*Fax: 00974 4651657 E-mail: abumadi@qu.edu.qa
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Abstract

A total of 488 stray cats, 212 adult and 29 juvenile females plus 235 adult and 12 juvenile males, were examined post-mortem during the winter and summer months of 2006 from five sites in the vicinity of Doha and its outskirts. Five helminths, comprising three nematode and two cestode species were identified and the majority of cats harboured two of these species. The most prevalent was the cestode Taenia taeniaeformis (75.8%), followed by the cestode Diplopylidium sp. (42.8%), and the nematodes Ancylostoma tubaeforme (17.0%), Physaloptera sp. (6.6%) and Toxocara cati (0.8%). All five species were found to be typically overdispersed in their distribution. Using univariate and multivariate analyses, the prevalence and abundance of infections were primarily influenced by host gender and season, with females tending to harbour higher levels of infection during the summer. No significant differences were found relative to site except in the case of Physaloptera sp. Using bivariate Pearson product moment correlations, significant positive co-occurrences were identified between Diplopylidium sp. and T. taeniaeformis and also between A. tubaeforme and T. taeniaeformis. The results are discussed in relation to the effect of environmental conditions on the intestinal helminth infracommunities and their possible interactions in stray cat populations from such a harsh and arid region as Qatar.

Type
Research Papers
Information
Journal of Helminthology , Volume 82 , Issue 1 , March 2008 , pp. 59 - 68
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

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