A survey of helminths in domestic cats in the Pretoria area of Transvaal, Republic of South Africa. Part 1: The prevalence and comparison of burdens of helminths in adult and juvenile cats.

The helminths found in 1,502 necropsied cats were examined. The findings indicated that 65% of the cats were infested. The most prevalent helminths encountered were Ancylostoma tubaeforme (41%), Ancylostoma braziliense (25%), Dipylidium caninum (23%), Toxocara cati (11%), Taenia taeniaeformis (7.7%), Ancylostoma caninum (3.3%), Joyeuxiella fuhrmanni (2.5%), Ancylostoma ceylanicum (1.4%), and Physaloptera praeputialis (1.3%). The following helminths were recorded in fewer than 1% of the cats: Centrorhynchus spp., Pterygodermatites spp., Toxocara canis, Aleurostrongylus abstrusus and Vogeloides spp., This is the first record of the lungworms, A. abstrusus and Vogeloides spp. in cats in the Republic of South Africa. The helminths in adult and juvenile cats are compared. Of the cestodes, Joyeuxiella fuhrmanni (4%) and Taenia taeniaeformis (12%) are more prevalent in adult cats. Dipylidium caninum is marginally more common in adults (24%), and is the most common helminth in juvenile cats, being present in 21% of cases. More adult cats have Ancylostoma tubaeforme (58%), Ancylostoma braziliense (36%), Ancylostoma ceylanicum (2.4%) and Physaloptera praeputialis (1.9%) than do juvenile cats. However, juvenile cats were found to harbour more Toxocara cati (41%), Toxocara canis (0.5%) and Ancylostoma caninum (5.2%). Juvenile cats harbour appreciable numbers of both cestodes and nematodes, thus any treatment should be aimed at the elimination of both, with a broad spectrum anthelmintic.