The significance of the cestode Joyeuxiella pasqualei (Cyclophyllidea: Dipylidiidae) for clinical practice and the welfare of cats

Abstract

The cestode Joyeuxiella pasqualei is a common parasite of cats in Southern European countries, and due to the increasingly pronounced effects of global warming, there is a tendency for the spread and appearance of this parasite among carnivores in other parts of the European continent. The adult forms of the parasite are localized in the small intestines of definitive hosts (cats, dogs, foxes, wolves, and other carnivores). Cats become infected by ingesting primary hosts (coprophagic insects) and secondary intermediate hosts (reptiles and small mammals), which harbor the infective larval forms of the parasite (cysticercoids). In most infected animals, the disease progresses asymptomatically. An exception occurs in cases of high-intensity infections, where the adhesion of adult parasites to the intestinal mucosa leads to necrosis of the intestinal villi, invagination, and partial obstruction of the intestine, significantly compromising the health and well-being of cats. Successful treatment is achieved through the administration of praziquantel, and for prevention, it is necessary to prevent contact between cats and populations of intermediate hosts. Data on the etiopathogenesis, diagnosis, and control of this tapeworm are of particular importance for inexperienced diagnosticians, who, due to insufficient knowledge about J. pasqualei parasitism, can make significant errors in clinical diagnosis. Due to its significance for clinical practice and the welfare of cats, it is necessary to include this cestode in the differential diagnosis of intestinal invagination in cats and of other carnivore cestodes, which are species from the genera Diplopylidium and Dipylidium.