Stray cats are a common feature roaming the streets and alleys of Kuwait; they could be a source of parasites, including trematodes, that affect humans. A survey was conducted to identify feline trematodes and throw the light on their public health significance in Kuwait. Out of 240 stray cats trapped from different localities of Kuwait from June 2011 to May 2012, 59 (24.6%) were found to be infected with 14 species of trematodes. The most common were trematodes of the genus Heterophyes, particularly H. heterophyes and H. dispar that were found in respectively 15.8% and 10.8% of the cats examined. Other trematodes recorded, with lower prevalences, were Heterophyes nocens (2.9%), Haplorchis taichui (3.8%), Stictodora sawakinensis (2.1%), Stellantchasmus falcatus (1.6%), Echinochasmus japonicus (1.6%), and Mesostephanus dottrensi (1.3%). Centrocestus cuspidatus, Galactosomum fregatae, Ascocotyle sp., Mesostephanus appendiculatus, Haplorchis yokogawai, and Pygidiopsis genata showed the lowest prevalence (0.4%) and intensity. The majority of the trematodes are recorded for the first time in Kuwait and even in the Gulf region. The study reveals that stray cats are good indicators of fish-borne trematodes in the environment. As all trematodes recovered are zoonotic, their significance to public health should be considred.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Intestinal zoonotic parasites in companion animals and potential of human exposure in the Middle East Haifaa A. Mahjoub Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports.2026; 67: 101413. CrossRef
Helminths of Cats (Felis catus Linnaeus, 1758) and Their Larval Stages in Reptiles in Dubai, United Arab Emirates Rolf K. Schuster, Saritha Sivakumar Diversity.2025; 17(8): 578. CrossRef
Global distribution of zoonotic digenetic trematodes: a scoping review Yue Hu, Rong-Jian Zhan, Shi-Lin Lu, Yi-Yang Zhang, Min-Yu Zhou, Hui Huang, Ding-Ding Wang, Tao Zhang, Zi-Xin Huang, Yun-Fei Zhou, Zhi-Yue Lv Infectious Diseases of Poverty.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Gastrointestinal parasites of cats in the Middle East (2000−2023): A literature review Mahdi Soroushianfar, Soheil Sadr, Alireza Sazmand, Shiva Dianaty, Javad Khedri, Rolf Karl Schuster, Hassan Borji Parasitology International.2024; 102: 102919. CrossRef
Gastrointestinal helminth parasites of pets: Retrospective study at the veterinary teaching hospital, IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia Yusuf Ridwan, Etih Sudarnika, Tri Isyani Tungga Dewi, Novericko Ginger Budiono Veterinary World.2023; : 1043. CrossRef
Prevalence of heterophyid infection in tilapia fish “Orechromas niloticus” with emphasize of cats role as neglected reservoir for zoonotic Heterophyes heterophyes in Egypt Mahmoud Abdelnaby El-Seify, Khaled Sultan, Nagwa Mohammed Elhawary, Neveen Salah Satour, Naema Mohammed Marey Journal of Parasitic Diseases.2021; 45(1): 35. CrossRef
Foodborne intestinal flukes: A brief review of epidemiology and geographical distribution Jong-Yil Chai, Bong-Kwang Jung Acta Tropica.2020; 201: 105210. CrossRef
Helminth Parasites among Rodents in the Middle East Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Md Mazharul Islam, Elmoubashar Farag, Mohammad Mahmudul Hassan, Devendra Bansal, Salah Al Awaidy, Abdinasir Abubakar, Hamad Al-Romaihi, Zilungile Mkhize-Kwitshana Animals.2020; 10(12): 2342. CrossRef
Fishborne zoonotic heterophyid infections: An update Jong-Yil Chai, Bong-Kwang Jung Food and Waterborne Parasitology.2017; 8-9: 33. CrossRef
First
Prev
