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Stray cats are a common feature roaming the streets and alleys of Kuwait; they could be a source of parasites, including trematodes, that affect humans. A survey was conducted to identify feline trematodes and throw the light on their public health significance in Kuwait. Out of 240 stray cats trapped from different localities of Kuwait from June 2...
Citations
... Taiwan [139], Malaysia [140], and Mexico [141] (Additional file 11: Fig. S9b). At present, C. formosanus distribute widely in Asia and America, covering China, Japan, Lao PDR [142], Vietnam [143], Thailand [144], USA, Brazil, Mexico and so on [7,141] (Additional file 11: Fig. S9c). ...
Background
Digenetic trematodes, including blood flukes, intestinal flukes, liver flukes, lung flukes, and pancreatic flukes, are highly diverse and distributed widely. They affect at least 200 million people worldwide, so better understanding of their global distribution and prevalence are crucial for controlling and preventing human trematodiosis. Hence, this scoping review aims to conduct a comprehensive investigation on the spatio-temporal distribution and epidemiology of some important zoonotic digenetic trematodes.
Methods
We conducted a scoping review by searching PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang databases for articles, reviews, and case reports of zoonotic digenetic trematodes, without any restrictions on the year of publication. We followed the inclusion and exclusion criteria to identify relevant studies. And relevant information of the identified studies were collected and summarized.
Results
We identified a total of 470 articles that met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review finally. Our analysis revealed the prevalence and global distribution of species in Schistosoma , Echinostoma , Isthmiophora , Echinochasmus , Paragonimus , Opisthorchiidae, Fasciolidae, Heterophyidae, and Eurytrema . Although some flukes are distributed worldwide, developing countries in Asia and Africa are still the most prevalent areas. Furthermore, there were some overlaps between the distribution of zoonotic digenetic trematodes from the same genus, and the prevalence of some zoonotic digenetic trematodes was not entirely consistent with their global distribution. The temporal disparities in zoonotic digenetic trematodes may attribute to the environmental changes. The gaps in our knowledge of the epidemiology and control of zoonotic digenetic trematodes indicate the need for large cohort studies in most countries.
Conclusions
This review provides important insights into the prevalence and global distribution of some zoonotic digenetic trematodes, firstly reveals spatio-temporal disparities in these digenetic trematodes. Countries with higher prevalence rate could be potential sources of transmitting diseases to other areas and are threat for possible outbreaks in the future. Therefore, continued global efforts to control and prevent human trematodiosis, and more international collaborations are necessary in the future.
Graphical Abstract
... are of medical importance. One species, M. appendiculatus (Ciurea, 1916) is a cosmopolitan intestinal fluke considered a potential zoonotic fish-borne parasite transmitted to humans by the consumption of raw or undercooked fish (see El-Bahy et al. 2017 and references therein), and it has been also reported infecting stray cats (El-Azazy et al. 2015). To date, there are no reports of M. microbursa infecting humans in Mexico (Rojas-Hernández et al. 2014, Garrido-Olvera et al. 2022. ...
The Pacific silverstripe halfbeak, Hyporhamphus naos is one of the most commercially important fish species in Mazatlán Bay, northwestern Mexico. Irrespective of its relatively small size, it is highly appreciated in the local gastronomy. Every year between April and May adults congregate to spawn in Mazatlán Bay; however, information about their parasite fauna is lacking. This study reports on the metazoan parasite fauna of H. naos. Thirty individuals were sampled during the 2022 fishing season. Nine parasite taxa were collected, including five species of ectoparasites, that is, the monogeneans Axinoides sp. and Kuhnia sp., the copepods Ergasilus sp. and Lepeophtheirus sp., and the isopod Mothocya gilli Bruce, 1986, and four endoparasites, the nematode Philometra sp., and three metacercariae including the heterophyid Opisthometra planicollis (Rudolphi, 1819), the strigeid Cardiocephaloides medioconiger (Dubois and Pérez-Vigueras, 1949), and the cyathocotylid Mesostephanus microbursa Caballero, Grocott and Zerecero, 1953. Parasites were identified using morphology, or a combination of morphology and DNA sequences. This study includes new host records for all metazoan parasites collected, except for Philometra sp. which has been previously documented infecting the gonads of H. naos. Philometra sp. was the species with the lowest prevalence (<10%), whereas O. planicollis and C. medioconiger reached the highest prevalence values with 63.3% and 50%, respectively. We discuss the factors that potentially determine the infection parameters of the metazoan parasites in the area, and the potential zoonotic importance of the cyathocotylid M. microbursa.
... Stray cats play a valuable role in any ecosystems by controlling the rodent population; thus, removing them is a major risk. Nevertheless, they raise public health concerns due to their large population numbers and ability to harbour zoonotic pathogens (Hildreth et al. 2010, El-Azazy et al. 2015.Coronavirus infection is prevalent in cats as most feline coronavirus (FCoV) strains are found in their gastrointestinal tract (Tasker 2018). Anti-FCoV Ab could be detected in serum samples of infected cats minimum 9 days post-infection (Desmarets et al. 2016); however, in other cases, the seroconversion may take up to 28 days (Meli et al. 2004). ...
... A cross-sectional study was conducted during the period extending from June 2011 to May 2012 to study parasitic, viral, bacteriological, and pathological lesions in stray cats in Kuwait (El-Azazy et al. 2015, El-Azazy et al. 2016. Special traps were set at night in different localities in Kuwait to collect random samples of stray cats. ...
Feline Coronavirus (FCoV) is a worldwide viral infection of felids. The disease is usually asymptomatic, but it can cause mild diarrhoea; however, few numbers of cases may develop a severe systemic disease known as feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). This study aims to determine the prevalence of FCoV shedding in the faeces of stray cats in Kuwait and detect antibodies against FCoV in their serum. Histopathological analyses and RT‑PCR were used to prove cases of FIP. A total of 178 cats were examined for the presence of FCoV in their faeces using a rapid immunochromatography (IC) test. Anti‑FCoV Antibody (Anti‑FCoV Ab) was detected in their serum using ELISA. Eleven samples were tested using RT‑PCR to confirm positive cases. The prevalence of FCoV faecal antigen in stray cats was 32.6%. The overall detection rate of Anti‑FCoV Ab in stray cats was 44.9%. Nine cats tested positive using the RT‑PCR test. Six out of those nine were confirmed to be FIP positive through gross and histopathological examination. The characteristic uveitis and discoloration of the irises were seen. The present study is the first report confirming FCoV infection in stray cats in Kuwait. Postmortem and histopathological lesions in cases of FIP were recorded.
... Animals can carry parasites, including helminths [11][12][13], that can be transferred to humans through contaminated food [14][15][16] or contact with contaminated environments [17][18][19]. Many intestinal parasites in dogs and cats can infect humans if they come into contact with them directly or if people are exposed to areas polluted by their feces [12,[20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30]. Some of the specific parasites that can infect humans include Toxocara spp., Toxascaris [31,32], hookworms [33,34] [35][36][37], and Strongyloides spp. ...
Background and aim:
Dogs and cats are popular pets that play integral roles in human societies worldwide. Unfortunately, they can carry potential zoonotic helminths that can be transmitted to humans. However, data on the gastrointestinal helminths affecting dogs and cats in Bogor, Indonesia, are currently lacking. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of gastrointestinal helminth parasites in pets from this area using a retrospective analysis.
Materials and methods:
A retrospective study was conducted at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of IPB University, Bogor. Cat and dog patients from January 2014 to April 2019 were tested for helminth infections and the results as well as their age, sex, and breed data were analyzed using the Chi-square test.
Results:
Among the dogs and cats examined for internal parasites, 61.11% (33/51) of the dogs and 53.80% (92/171) of the cats were infected by helminths. Among the dogs, hookworm (37.04%) and Toxocara spp. (24.07%) were detected, while in the cats, hookworm (11.11%), Toxocara spp. (38.01%), and Dipylidium caninum (4.68%) were detected. The prevalence of hookworm and D. caninum was higher in older pets, while Toxocara spp. infected younger cats and dogs (<1 year) more frequently. The prevalence of Toxocara spp. in the Indonesian local dog breed was higher when than other breeds. Sex did not significantly affect the prevalence of parasites in dogs or cats.
Conclusion:
The discovery of zoonotic helminth parasites in the cat and dog pets from Bogor raises concerns for the inhabitants. Initiatives will be required to inform pet owners about prevention strategies for these parasitic diseases.
... Human cases of schistosomiasis were noted in Egypt [3], Iran [128], Israel [129], Jordan [103], Saudi Arabia [130], Turkey [131], and Yemen [3,132], whereas Heterophyes heterophyes were reported from Egypt and Saudi Arabia [133,134]. There are non-humans (fish, dogs, and cats) reports of Pygidiopsis genata, Haplorchis pumilio, Haplorchis yokogawai, and Heterophyes heterophyes from Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Palestine, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, UAE, and Yemen [135][136][137][138]. However, these rodent trematodes in the current review were mostly reported from Egypt and Iran. ...
Simple Summary: The review was conducted to establish an overview of rodent helminths in the Middle East as well as their public health importance. Following a systematic search, 65 field research were identified, studied, and analyzed. The overall prevalence of cestodes, nematodes, and trematodes were 24.88%, 32.71%, and 10.17%, respectively. The review detected 21 species of cestodes, 56 nematodes, and 23 trematodes, from which 22 have zoonotic importance. Capillaria hepatica, Hymenolepis diminuta, Hymenolepis nana, and Cysticercus fasciolaris were the most frequent and widespread zoonotic helminths. The review identified that there is an information gap on rodent helminths at the humans-animal interface level in this region. Therefore, the public health importance of rodent-borne helminth parasites is not fully recognized. Countrywide detailed studies on rodent helminths, along with the impact on public health, should be conducted in this region. Abstract: Rodents can be a source of zoonotic helminths in the Middle East and also in other parts of the world. The current systematic review aimed to provide baseline data on rodent helminths to recognize the threats of helminth parasites on public health in the Middle East region. Following a systematic search on PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, a total of 65 research studies on rodent cestodes, nematodes, and trematodes, which were conducted in the countries of the Middle East, were analyzed. The study identified 44 rodent species from which Mus musculus, Rattus norvegicus, and Rattus rattus were most common (63%) and recognized as the primary rodent hosts for helminth infestation in this region. Cestodes were the most frequently reported (n = 50), followed by nematodes (49), and trematodes (14). The random effect meta-analysis showed that the pooled prevalence of cestode (57.66%, 95% CI: 34.63-80.70, l 2 % = 85.6, p < 0.001) was higher in Saudi Arabia, followed by nematode (56.24%, 95% CI: 11.40-101.1, l 2 % = 96.7, p < 0.001) in Turkey, and trematode (15.83%, 95% CI: 6.25-25.1, l 2 % = 98.5, p < 0.001) in Egypt. According to the overall prevalence estimates of individual studies, nematodes were higher (32.71%, 95% CI: 24.89-40.54, l 2 % = 98.6, p < 0.001) followed by cestodes (24.88%, 95% CI: 19.99-29.77, l 2 % = 94.9, p < 0.001) and trematodes (10.17%, Animals 2020, 10, 2342 2 of 18 95% CI: 6.7-13.65, l 2 % = 98.3, p < 0.001) in the rodents of the Middle East countries. The review detected 22 species of helminths, which have zoonotic importance. The most frequent helminths were Capillaria hepatica, Hymenolepis diminuta, Hymenolepis nana, and Cysticercus fasciolaris. There was no report of rodent-helminths from Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Furthermore, there is an information gap on rodent helminths at the humans-animal interface level in Middle East countries. Through the One Health approach and countrywide detailed studies on rodent-related helminths along with their impact on public health, the rodent control program should be conducted in this region.
... In Arabian countries, Schuster, et al. [23] detected Heterophyes heterophyes and Heterophyopsis continua in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. In Kuwait, for the first time, El-Azazy, et al. [24] revealed that 24 In Egypt, few studies on digenean trematodes infecting cats have been performed previously. Among those, Arafa, et al. [25] reported Heterophyes heterophyes, Echinochasmus perfoliatus and Euparyphium melis in Giza and Cairo provinces. ...
... In Arabian countries, Schuster, et al. [23] detected Heterophyes heterophyes and Heterophyopsis continua in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. In Kuwait, for the first time, El-Azazy, et al. [24] revealed that 24 In Egypt, few studies on digenean trematodes infecting cats have been performed previously. Among those, Arafa, et al. [25] reported Heterophyes heterophyes, Echinochasmus perfoliatus and Euparyphium melis in Giza and Cairo provinces. ...
... In Egypt, previous literature reported higher infection rates; Fouly EA, [27] found that the prevalence of flukes-induced infection was 42.0%, Thabit HTM, [28] who reported that the prevalence was 61.6% and El-Dakhly, et al. [3] who revealed that the prevalence was 12.9%. Similarly, in Kuwait, El-Azazy, et al. [24] recorded a prevalence of 24.6%. Authors suggest that the lower prevalence in the current study might be referred to the enhancing hygienic measures and strict governmental rules that permit the hygienic disposal of garbage, containing various remnants of infected fish, as well as the periodical elimination of stray cats, the definitive and intermediate hosts of digenetic trematodes. ...
Stray cats act as good indicators of fish-borne trematodes in the environment. Large populations of stray cats, Felis catus, are widespread in Giza, Egypt. Therefore, a total of 47 stray cats from some urban districts in Giza, Egypt were necropsied during the period from December 2018 to April 2019 and their intestines were examined for the detection of digenetic trematodes. Six cats were parasitized with 7 species of trematodes with an overall prevalence of 12.77%. Recovered species were belonging to heterophyids (Heterophyes heterophyes, Pygidiopsis summa, Procerovum varium, Ascocotyle sp.), cyathocotylids (Prohemistomum vivax and Mesostephanus appendiculatus), and echinostomatid (Echinochasmus liliputanus) in prevalences of 6.38% (3/47), 2.13% (1/47), and 6.38% (3/47), respectively. Mixed infections with heterophyids were noticed in two infected cats. Meanwhile, a mixed infection with H. heterophyes and the echinostomatid was recorded in one cat. Moreover, all trematode-infected cats had concomitant infections with cestode and/or nematode parasites. Therefore, veterinarians and authorized agencies must consider great hygienic measures and sanitary control programs to avoid the potential risk and zoonotic importance of such parasites.
... Later, in the same area, the metacercariae of H. taichui and other heterophyids, Haplorchis pumilio, Haplorchis taichui, Stellantchasmus falcatus and Centrocestus formosanus were detected in various fish species (11,12), and different birds showed to harbor H. taichui flukes along with other trematodes (20). In the neighboring country of Kuwait, H. taichui causes infection in stray cats (21), and in the south of Iraq, this parasite occurs in the wildlife (18). Iraq and Kuwait share the Mesopotamian Marshlands (Horolazim wetland) with Iran. ...
Background
We detected eight trematodes in the small intestine of a road-killed jackal (Canis aureus) from Hamidiyeh District near the city of Ahvaz, Khuzestan Province in 2010.
Methods
Three worms were stained with carmine acid, mounted in Canada balsam on glass slides and examined under a light microscope at 1000X magnification. PCR and sequencing of a partial ITS2 sequence were used to approve the diagnosis.
Results
The flukes measured ≈1 mm in length with an elongated ovoid shape resembling the members of heterophyid, and only one testis, characteristics of the genus Haplorchis. Sequencing of a 481-bp fragment of the ITS2 locus from the worms revealed 97%–98% identity with the similar sequences of the H. taichui flukes previously identified in the fish, cat, and humans from Thailand, China, and Vietnam.
Conclusion
Further studies with the application of reliable molecular tools to diagnose trematode infections in wildlife and humans can bring more insight into the epidemiology of fish-borne flukes including H. taichui in this area.
... In Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Dubai, and United Arab Emirates, no reports are available on human infections. However, the existence of H. heterophyes has been documented in fish intermediate hosts or animal reservoir hosts (Abdul-Salam and Baker, 1990;Khalil et al., 2014;El-Azazy et al., 2015). Sporadic H. heterophyes infection has been reported from Greece, Turkey, Italy, Spain, Tunisia, Yemen, and Sri Lanka (Taraschewski and Nicolaidou, 1987;Yu and Mott, 1994;Martínez-Alonso et al., 1999). ...
... (87/242) egg positive rate was reported from residents; H. taichui adult flukes were recovered from some of these people (Belizario et al., 2004). In Egypt and Kuwait, little has been reported regarding human infections; however, the presence of H. taichui was documented from animals (Kuntz and Chandler, 1956;El-Azazy et al., 2015). ...
... (Yamaguti 1975). The reservoir hosts include dogs, cats, foxes, rats, and chickens (Yu and Mott, 1994;El-Azazy et al., 2015). Adult flukes were obtained experimentally from rats fed the fish Astatotilapia desfontainesi (Yamaguti, 1958) and chicks fed the metacercariae from Gambusia (Yamaguti, 1975). ...
Fishborne heterophyid trematodes infecting humans are at least 29 species worldwide and belong to 13 genera. Its global burden is much more than 7 million infected people. They include Metagonimus (M. yokogawai, M. takahashii, M. miyatai, M. minutus, and M. katsuradai), Heterophyes (H. heterophyes, H. nocens, H. dispar, and H. aequalis), Haplorchis (H. taichui, H. pumilio, H. yokogawai, and H. vanissimus), Pygidiopsis (P. summa and P. genata), Heterophyopsis (H. continua), Stellantchasmus (S. falcatus), Centrocestus (C. formosanus, C. armatus, C. cuspidatus, and C. kurokawai), Stictodora (S. fuscata and S. lari), Procerovum (P. varium and P. calderoni), Acanthotrema (A. felis), Apophallus (A. donicus), Ascocotyle (A. longa), and Cryptocotyle (C. lingua). Human infections are scattered around the world but the major endemic areas are located in Southeast Asia. The source of human infection is ingestion of raw or improperly cooked fish. The pathogenicity, host-parasite relationships, and clinical manifestations in each species infection are poorly understood; these should be elucidated particularly in immunocompromised hosts. Problems exist in the differential diagnosis of these parasitic infections because of close morphological similarity of eggs in feces and unavailability of alternative methods such as serology. Molecular diagnostic techniques are promising but they are still at an infant stage. Praziquantel has been proved to be highly effective against most of the patients infected with heterophyid flukes. Epidemiological surveys and detection of human infections are required for better understanding of the geographical distribution and global burden of each heterophyid species. In this review, the most updated knowledge on the morphology, biology, epidemiology, pathogenesis and pathology, immunology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment, and prevention and control of fishborne zoonotic heterophyid infections is provided.
... nematodes. Data on protozoa and trematodes were This style of life facilitates the spread of disease agents published separately [12,13]. and poses a threat to public health, livestock and domesticated pets. ...
... Field and Laboratory Work: Procedures of cat sampling, study sites, laboratory investigations and statistical analysis were mentioned in the previous paper [13]. Brefiely, stray cats were trapped from various districts of six administrative Governorates; the investigated districts were grouped into 2 main localities, Locality 1 and Locality 2, on the basis of the following criteria e.g. the standard of living of inhabitants, density of population, level of municipal services and accumulation of garbage. ...
In spite of increasing numbers of stray cats in the streets of Kuwait, little is known about their parasites and the extent of risk they may pose to public health. A survey was conducted to study the parasites of stray cats trapped from different localities of Kuwait. Out of 240 cats examined, 207 (86.25%) were found to be infected with at least one parasite. Parasites identified included 4 cestodes: Diplopylidium nolleri (54.6%), Diplopylidium acanthotetra (45.4%), Joyeuxiella pasquali (38.3%) and Taenia taeniaeformis (0.8%); and 7 nematodes: Ollulanus tricuspis (26.3%), Physaloptera gemina (4.2%), Gnathostoma sp. (0.4%), Pterygodermatites cahirensis (34.6%), Ancylostoma tubaeforme (1.3%), Toxocara cati (1.3%) and Toxascaris leonina (15%).The effect of demographic factors (age, sex, site and season) on parasitism is discussed.
