All I want for Christmas is to be parasite free!A fecal sample from a 2 year-old cat with history of anorexia, was submitted to the Oklahoma Diagnostic Laboratory for fecal analysis. A fecal flotation with Zinc sulfate solution (specific gravity 1.18) was performed and the following eggs were observed (Photos 1-2).  Photo 1: Parasite eggs at 100x magnification. Sizes range from 35 µM to 40 µM.  Photo 2: Closer view with larva inside the egg. Physalpotera spp.
Physalpotera spp. are Spirurid parasites of the stomach of dogs, cats and other wild mammals. Clinical signs are rare and may include vomiting and anorexia. The recommended detection method is fecal sedimentation (photo 3, below), however on occasion they can be detected with fecal centrifugation. Life cycle: The eggs are ingested by beetles, cockroaches or crickets where they develop into the infective stage. The definitive host in this case a cat, becomes infected when ingests the intermediate host or paratenic hosts such as reptiles. 
Photo 3: Physaloptera spp. recovered by sedimentation. |