Toxocara cati It is a worm that belongs to the phylum Nematoda and, like many of this classification, is a causal agent of infections. Its main host is the cat and some other felines, although humans can also be its host.
It was first described by the German zoologist Johann Zeder in 1800. It was later established that it is the causative agent of toxocariasis, a rare infection in humans that affects certain tissues of the body..
This parasite is found mainly on the African continent and in some regions of America and is transmitted by ingestion of its eggs..
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Toxocara cati it is a nematode and as such it is a eukaryotic organism, with cells that have a nucleus within which are the chromosomes made up of DNA. They are also made up of various types of cells, each one specialized in a specific function..
This parasite has bilateral symmetry, since it is made up of two exactly equal halves. If you draw an imaginary line along the longitudinal plane, you can check this.
This organism is triblastic, because when it is developing inside the egg, it presents the three germ layers: endoderm, mesoderm and ectoderm. From them originate the various tissues of the animal.
The lifestyle of Toxocara cati It is based on parasitism, that is, the organism invades a host (cat) and develops within it. In addition to this, it is a known pathogen that can generate the development of an infection, either in cats or in humans..
They reproduce sexually, are oviparous and present indirect development, since they need to go through several larval stages until they reach the adult stage..
The taxonomic classification of Toxocara cati is the next:
-Domain: Eukarya
-Animalia Kingdom
-Phylum: Nematoda
-Class: Secernentea
-Order: Ascaridida
-Family: Toxocaridae
-Gender: Toxocara
-Species: Toxocara cati
Toxocara cati It is a round worm that has a body covered by a cuticle, which is a kind of protective layer. The color can vary from pale pink through white to yellowish. At the level of the cervical area, the worms have fin-like or wing-like extensions.
The most developed system is the digestive system, which is complete, with an entrance hole (mouth) and an exit hole (anus). To mobilize, they do so with the help of a hydroskeleton and a system of longitudinal muscles..
They present sexual dimorphism, which means that there are morphological differences between male and female individuals.
The females are larger. They reach a length of approximately 10 cm and their bodies end in a straight tail. While the males are much smaller, measuring 5-6 cm on average, in addition to having a curved tail, which has structures called spicules, which serve it during the mating process..
The life cycle of Toxocara cati it develops inside its host, which in most cases is the cat. It is worth noting that the cycle as described below occurs mainly in young cats..
This parasite reproduces through eggs. These are released to the outside through the animal's feces.
This is a parasite that requires going through several larval stages until it reaches the adult stage. Inside the egg, the larvae develop to the second larval stage (L2). This is a process that can take up to 15 days.
Well, the eggs with the larvae (L2) inside can be ingested by some mammals. In case of being ingested by an animal other than a cat, what happens there is that they undergo a transformation, the larvae encyst and transform into ineffective larvae, being able to remain there indefinitely.
If they are ingested by a cat, they travel through the digestive tract to the intestine, where the larvae hatch from the egg and manage to cross the intestinal wall, until they enter the circulation. Through this they reach the lungs. There they undergo another transformation and reach the third larval stage (L3).
Later, the L3 larvae migrate through the trachea and reach the oral cavity of the animal, where they are swallowed again..
At the level of the intestine, the L3 larva becomes stage 4 (L4) larvae until finally reaching the adult stage..
The adult parasite is capable of starting to produce eggs, which are excreted in the feces, to start the cycle in another host. The total duration of the cycle is approximately 30 days.
In the case of older cats, what happens is that the second instar (L2) larvae can invade some organs where they can encapsulate and remain dormant for an indefinite time..
Toxocara cati it is a parasite of cats. As such, it generates an infection in them, toxocariasis.
In young cats, which are the ones that most develop the infection, the symptoms and signs that appear are the following:
- Lack of appetite
- Apathy
- Shaggy hair
- General weakness
- Intestinal obstruction (depending on the number of parasites)
- Diarrhea
- Blood in the stool
- Constipation
The potential human victims of this parasite are children under 10 years of age. This is because they tend to play a lot with their pets, and they are always putting their hands to their mouths..
The symptoms that appear are given by the path that the larva describes during its migration. Less mild symptoms include:
- High fever
- General discomfort
Finally, when the parasites reach their final destination, which can be the eye or the liver, among many others, they remain even without generating symptoms, but reproducing constantly. Eventually the tissues become inflamed, triggering some symptoms, such as:
- Abscesses in the organs in which they are found (liver, brain)
- Granulomas
- Bronchial problems
- Granulomatosis retinitis
- Uveitis
- Eye pain
- Intraocular hemorrhages
Initially, when nonspecific symptoms are present, it is rare for infection to be suspected Toxocara cati. Due to this, no relevant tests are carried out. However, when symptoms flare up, the doctor may order blood tests that measure IgM and IgG..
When the parasite affects the ocular tissues, the most likely thing is that the doctor decides to perform a biopsy, in which the presence of the worm can be evidenced.
Medicines used to treat infections by Toxocara cati they are anthelmintics that what they do is kill the parasites or their larval stages.
Those most commonly used to treat toxocariasis include mebendazole, thiabendazole, and albendazole. Treatment usually lasts no more than 10 days.
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