Hemoparasites in domestic cats from Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil: positivity and epidemiological factors

Douglas Alves Pereira; Marco Miguel de Oliveira; Juliana Silva Miranda; Márcia Cristina Cury; Nathalia de Assis Pereira; Daniel Moura de Aguiar

doi:10.1590/1809-6891v26e-79859E

Authors

Douglas Alves Pereira Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU), Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8426-7535
Marco Miguel de Oliveira Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais (UEMG), Ituiutaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8704-5927
Juliana Silva Miranda Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU), Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2182-0863
Márcia Cristina Cury Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU), Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2939-9046
Nathalia de Assis Pereira Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso (UFMT), Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4045-9073
Daniel Moura de Aguiar Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso (UFMT), Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8631-522X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-6891v26e-79859E

Abstract

Hemoparasitosis in cats (Felis catus) is caused by protozoan and bacterial agents, primarily transmitted by fleas or ticks. This study was performed to evaluate the presence of hemoparasites in domestic cats from the urban region of Uberlândia (Minas Gerais State, Brazil) and associate positivity with epidemiological variables. Blood samples and data were collected from 300 cats. Blood was obtained from the ear tip, and two blood smears were prepared for each animal. Information on sex, breed, age, origin, habitat, access to external environments, presence of ectoparasites, diet, and region of origin was also gathered. In the blood smears, the positivity rates were 3.66% for Babesia spp., 5.33% for Ehrlichia spp., and 1.33% for Mycoplasma spp. Concomitant infections were observed between Babesia spp. and Ehrlichia spp. (0.66%) and Babesia spp. and Mycoplasma spp. (0.33%). Habitat, access to external environments, and region of origin were identified as significant factors for the occurrence of hemoparasitosis. Although most sampled cats lived in houses (66.66%), the majority had free access to outdoor areas (81.00%), increasing their exposure to ectoparasites and, consequently, hemoparasites. Among the city’s regions, the highest positivity rate (3.33%) was observed in the east, potentially linked to the lower likelihood of guardians in this area keeping their cats strictly indoors, likely influenced by socioeconomic and cultural factors.

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