Korean J Parasitol.  2009 Jun;47(2):189-191. 10.3347/kjp.2009.47.2.189.

Intestinal Helminth Infections in Feral Cats and a Raccoon Dog on Aphaedo Island, Shinan-gun, with a Special Note on Gymnophalloides seoi Infection in Cats

• Shin EH
• Park JH
• Guk SM
• Kim JL
• Chai JY

• KMID: 1720632
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2009.47.2.189

Abstract

Four feral cats and a raccoon dog purchased from a local collector on Aphaedo Island, Shinan-gun, where human Gymnophalloides seoi infections are known to be prevalent, were examined for their intestinal helminth parasites. From 2 of 4 cats, a total of 310 adult G. seoi specimens were recovered. Other helminths detected in cats included Heterophyes nocens (1,527 specimens), Pygidiopsis summa (131), Stictodora fuscata (4), Acanthotrema felis (2), Spirometra erinacei (15), toxocarids (4), and a hookworm (1). A raccoon dog was found to be infected with a species of echinostome (55), hookworms (7), toxocarids (3), P. summa (3), and S. erinacei (1). No G. seoi was found in the raccoon dog. The results indicate that feral cats and raccoon dogs on Aphaedo are natural definitive hosts for intestinal trematodes and cestodes, including G. seoi, H. nocens, and S. erinacei. It has been first confirmed that cats, a mammalian species other than humans, play the role of a natural definitive host for G. seoi on Aphaedo Island.

Keyword

Gymnophalloides seoi; Heterophyes nocens; Pygidiopsis summa; intestinal helminth; cat; raccoon dog

MeSH Terms

Animals
Cats/*parasitology
Cestoda/isolation & purification
Helminthiasis, Animal/*parasitology
Korea
Raccoon Dogs/*parasitology
Trematoda/*isolation & purification