NCVP - National Center for Veterinary Parasitology

  • Home
  • Resources
    • People >
      • Directors and Advisory Board
      • Residents >
        • Boehringer Ingelheim Resident
        • Elanco Resident
        • IDEXX Resident
        • Merck Resident
        • Zoetis Resident
      • NCVP Alums
      • Clinical Parasitology Support
      • Additional Support
      • Sponsors
    • Parasite Image Database >
      • Protozoa
      • Arthropods
      • Nematodes
      • Trematodes
      • Cestodes
      • Acanthocephala
      • Tick-Borne Disease Agents
    • Case of the Month
    • Teaching and Research Materials >
      • Teaching Specimen Request
      • Parasite Jeopardy Games
      • Parasite Videos
    • Online Resources >
      • Parasitology Board Preparation
      • Additional Parasitology Resources
      • Resources for Educators
    • NCVP Board Member Resources
    • NCVP Zoom Backgrounds
    • Residents' Corner
  • News
    • Veterinary Parasitology in the News
    • NCVP Newsletter
  • Opportunities
    • Request for Proposals
    • Residency Application
    • Continuing Education in Parasitology
    • Positions Open in Veterinary Parasitology
  • Home
  • Resources
    • People >
      • Directors and Advisory Board
      • Residents >
        • Boehringer Ingelheim Resident
        • Elanco Resident
        • IDEXX Resident
        • Merck Resident
        • Zoetis Resident
      • NCVP Alums
      • Clinical Parasitology Support
      • Additional Support
      • Sponsors
    • Parasite Image Database >
      • Protozoa
      • Arthropods
      • Nematodes
      • Trematodes
      • Cestodes
      • Acanthocephala
      • Tick-Borne Disease Agents
    • Case of the Month
    • Teaching and Research Materials >
      • Teaching Specimen Request
      • Parasite Jeopardy Games
      • Parasite Videos
    • Online Resources >
      • Parasitology Board Preparation
      • Additional Parasitology Resources
      • Resources for Educators
    • NCVP Board Member Resources
    • NCVP Zoom Backgrounds
    • Residents' Corner
  • News
    • Veterinary Parasitology in the News
    • NCVP Newsletter
  • Opportunities
    • Request for Proposals
    • Residency Application
    • Continuing Education in Parasitology
    • Positions Open in Veterinary Parasitology

Case of the Month

September 2021

 

Not another coughing cat

​A 6-year-old formerly-feral domestic shorthair cat presented to a veterinary internist in Virginia for chronic coughing. Serum antigen and antibody testing for heartworm infection was negative. A fecal sample was collected and submitted to a diagnostic laboratory for evaluation, which revealed the presence of the following parasite ova (Image 1). In addition, thoracic radiographs were taken (Image 2). Based on these results the cat was treated by the internist with weekly fenbendazole and ivermectin, but the parasite persisted in serial fecal exams and recheck radiographs were relatively unchanged.
Picture
Image 1: Ova found on fecal examination (40x objective).
Picture
Image 2: Left lateral radiographic view of thorax. Radiographs demonstrated right middle lung lobe consolidation with heavy bronchial pattern and cavitated lesions.
What's your diagnosis and recommendation?
Paragonimus kellicotti, also known as the lung fluke, is a trematode found throughout North America. The parasite has a 3-host life cycle in which the infective larval stage (miricidium) first penetrates an aquatic snail, where it develops into a cercaria and later exits the snail to encyst within the tissues of crawfish. The life cycle is completed when a vertebrate definitive host (animal or human) consumes a crawfish containing these cysts, and the parasites migrate from the gastrointestinal tract to the lungs where they encyst and reproduce. Eggs are coughed up in sputum, swallowed, and passed into the environment via the host's feces.
Encystment of Paragonimus within the lung parenchyma most often results in the clinical signs of chronic, persistent coughing (in rare cases, rupture of a lung cyst can result in pneumothorax and acute dyspnea). Large cysts may be appreciated on thoracic radiographs as nodular or cavitary lesions, particularly in the right caudal lung lobes. In this case, the paragonimiasis in this cat likely persisted due to an inadequate treatment protocol. Paragonimus treatment differs from that of lung nematodes in that it requires the use of praziquantel (often used in conjunction with a benzimidazole) in order to eliminate the parasite effectively.

Comments are closed.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012


    Have feedback on the cases or a special case you would like to share? Please email us. We will appropriately credit all submittors for any cases and photos provided.