Metastrongyloid Infection with Aelurostrongylus abstrusus, Troglostrongylus brevior, Oslerus rostratus and Angiostrongylus chabaudi in Feral Cats from the Canary Islands (Spain)

Lungworms are a major cause of feline respiratory disease, frequently underdiagnosed due to its presentation of symptoms being similar to that of other feline respiratory pathologies. Epidemiological data about these nematodes are scarce in the Canary Islands (Spain). Given the veterinary importance of these parasites, the aim of the present study was to improve the current epidemiological knowledge of the lungworm species that could be affecting feral cats in this archipelago. A total of 29 feral cats from La Gomera were analyzed. The respiratory tract of each animal was inspected and the nematodes obtained were identified by morphological keys and molecular techniques. Metastrongylids were detected to be widely distributed throughout the island with a prevalence of 55.2% (16/29). The species Aelurostrongylus abstrusus, Troglostrongylus brevior, Oslerus rostratus and Angiostrongylus chabaudi were identified. Also, coinfections with A. chabaudi and O. rostratus were detected in two animals. The present study shows a high diversity of lungworms in feral cats in La Gomera, with the first report of A. chabaudi and T. brevior for the Canary Archipelago and the first citation of A. chabaudi in cats for Spain. The wide distribution and high prevalence found in this study indicate a high risk of exposure to pulmonary infections in cats.

Data on New Intermediate and Accidental Hosts Naturally Infected with Angiostrongylus cantonensis in La Gomera and Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain)

Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a metastrongyloid nematode and the etiologic agent of angiostrongyliasis, a disease characterized by eosinophilic meningitis. This emerging zoonotic parasite has undergone great expansion, including in some regions of Europe and America. In the Canary Islands, the parasite was first discovered parasitizing Rattus rattus on the island of Tenerife in 2010. To date, the distribution of this parasite in the Canary Islands has been restricted to the northern zone and the main cities of Tenerife. Using molecular tools for the sentinel species present in the Canary Islands, this study confirmed the presence of the nematode on two other islands in the Canary Archipelago: La Gomera and Gran Canaria. Furthermore, this emerging parasite was detected, besides in the common definitive host R. rattus, in wild Mus musculus and Felis catus and in four terrestrial gastropod species, Limacus flavus, Milax gagates, Insulivitrina emmersoni, and Insulivitrina oromii, two of them endemic to La Gomera, for the first time, increasing the number of non-definitive host species. This study reinforces the expansion character of A. cantonensis and highlights the importance of knowledge about sentinel species for identifying new transmission locations that help prevent and control the transmission of the parasite and, thus, prevent public health problems.

High Prevalence of Microsporidia in the North African Hedgehog (Atelerix algirus) in the Canary Islands, Spain

Microsporidia are unicellular eukaryotic obligate intracellular parasites with a wide range of hosts reported worldwide; however, little is known about the epidemiological data on microsporidia infection in animals from the Canary Islands. Since data on microsporidia infection in hedgehog species are scarce, the aim of this study was to analyze the presence and identity of microsporidia in a group of North African hedgehogs (Atelerix algirus) using microscopic and molecular methods. From December 2020 to September 2021, a total of 36 fecal samples were collected from naturally deceased hedgehogs from Tenerife and Gran Canaria. All samples showed spore-compatible structures (100%; 36/36) under microscopic analysis, of which 61.1% (22/36) were amplified via the nested-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the partial sequence of the 16S rRNA gene, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, and the partial sequence of the 5.8S rRNA gene. After Sanger sequencing and ITS analysis, Enterocytozoon bieneusi was detected in 47.2% (17/36) of the samples, identifying two novel genotypes (AAE1 and AAE2), followed by the detection of an undetermined species in 8.3% (3/36) and Encephalitozoon cuniculi genotype I in 5.6% (2/36) of the samples. This study constitutes the first report of microsporidia species in Atelerix algirus worldwide, highlighting the high prevalence of zoonotic species.