Table 1.
Prevalence (% samples or animals positive) of enteric helminth and protozoan parasites in cats in Canada in the current and previous studies (from west to east). In the current study, free-roaming includes shelter and feral cats in urban regions of Saskatchewan
| Province | Type (number) | Methoda | Toxocara | Toxascaris | Hookworm | Taeniids | Dipylidium | Coccidia | Giardia | Cryptosporidium | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB | Rural (27) | SCF/IFA 27/27 | 15% | 4% | 0% | 22% | 0% | 19% | 11% | 0% | Current studyc |
| SK | Free-roaming (161) | SCF/IFA 161/148 | 1%b | 0% | 0% | 6% | 0% | 6% | 16% | 7% | |
| SK | Pet (31) | SCF/IFA 31/29 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 3% | 3% | 0% | |
| AB | Shelter (85) | ZCF | 11% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | < 1% | 0% | 0% | (1) |
| Pet (68) | ZCF | 2% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | ||
| SK | Pet (644) | SCF/IFA | 5% | < 1% | < 1% | 1% | 0% | 4% | 10% | 2% | (2) |
| SK | Shelter (52) | PM | 17% | 0% | 2% | 15% | 2% | NT | NT | NT | (3)d |
| SK | Pet/Shelter (131) | PM | NT | NT | NT | 12% | NT | NT | NT | NT | (4)e |
| ON | Shelter (47) | SCF | 11% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 13% | 0% | 0% | (5)f |
| ON | Pet (8160) | NR | 2% | NT | NT | NT | NT | < 1% | < 1% | NT | (6) |
| Pet (41) | NNF/Mix | 12% | 0% | 0% | 5% | 7% | 10% | 2% | 7% | ||
| ON | Unstated (458) | NNF | 30% | 2% | 4% | 14% | 1% | 9% | NT | NT | (7)g |
| PEI | Feral (78) | ZCF | 31% | 0% | 0% | 15% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | (8)h |
| NS | Shelter (299) | NClF | 25% | < 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 6% | 0% | 0% | (9)i |
| NL | Unstated (35) | PM | 46%h | 3% | 0% | 0% | 9% | NT | NT | NT | (10)j |
Detection methods (in order of appearance): SCF — Sucrose Centrifugation-Flotation; IFA — Immunofluorescence Assay for Giardia and Cryptosporidium; ZCF — Zinc Sulphate Centrifugation-Flotation; PM — Postmortem; NT — not tested; NR — Not reported; NNF — Sodium Nitrate Flotation; Mix — Formalin-Ethyl Acetate Concentration and acid-fast staining/enzyme immunoassay for Cryptosporidium; NClF — Sodium Chloride Flotation on samples in 10% formalin.
One sample contained eggs and the other a single adult male of T. cati.
Also detected: Eucoleus aerophila and Baylisascaris spp.
Also detected: Ollulanus tricuspis and Physaloptera spp.
3 of 131 (2%) cats had Echinococcus multilocularis and 16 of 131 (12%) cats had Taenia spp.
Also detected: Aoncotheca spp., Eucoleus aerophila.
Also detected: Capillaria, Strongyloides, Aelurostrongylus, Diphyllobothrium, and Paragonimus spp.
Also detected: Toxoplasma gondii.
Also detected: Capillaria spp.
Also detected: Diphyllobothrium dentriticum.