Natural infection by platynosomum fastosum in domestic feline in alegre, espírito santo, Brazil and successful treatment with praziquantel

Abstract

Platynosomum sp. is a trematode found in tropical and subtropical areas that affects domestic felines, the main route of transmission being the ingestion of lizards containing the infective forms, the metacercariae, and parasitizing the liver, gall bladder and bile ducts. In most infected animals, the disease is asymptomatic, but the severity of the disease is associated with the burden, time, and individual response of the parasitized animal. The coproparasitological examination is fundamental for possible diagnosis, which is based on the visualization of the eggs. The study aims to report a case of a domestic feline naturally infected by Platynosomum fastosum in the city of Alegre, Espírito Santo. The feline had access to the street with a habit of hunting and underwent a coproparasitological examination for the epidemiological study of cats in the city of Alegre-ES. In the examination, eggs of P. fastosum were found by means of the centrifugal-flotation parasitological technique. No clinical changes or on ultrasound examination were seen. Thereafter, treatment was instituted with praziquantel at a dose of 20 mg / kg for 3 days. The coproparasitological examination was repeated one week and 10 months after the treatment, obtaining negative results and evidencing the success of the therapy. In this way, the data present in this report seeks to draw attention to cases of platinosomiasis and to introduce routine coproparasitological exams.