Objective: This study was done to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal helminthie infection of stray eats in Isfahan. Design: This study was performed based on a cross sectional design from late 1998 to mid 1999.
Animal: One hundred and thirty one stray cats were collected from different urban areas of Isfahan.
Procedure: Animals were euthanised by high doses of anesthetic drugs and all of the parasites in their digestive system were isolated. After fixation of the samples in 10% formalin their identification were performed based on parasitological characteristics. Statistical analysis: Descriptive statistics and chi square.
Results: Total infection rate in stray cats in this study was 98.5%. In parasitological study two nematodes: Physalopterapraeputialis (36/6%) and Toxocara cati (13%) and five cestodes: Taenia taeniaeformis (9.2%), Diplopylidium nolleiy (0.7%), Mesocestoides lineatus (7.6%), Joyeoxiella pascjualie (75.6%) and .Joyeoxiella echinorhncoides (3%) were identified. Maximum number of parasites in one animal belonged to Joyeoxilla pasqualie (28. 1 worm).
Conclusion: There was not any significant difference in infection rate between ma., and females. However, with regard to age, it seems that older animals arc more prone to acquire the infection. Furthermore, results of the study showed that many stray cats in urban areas of Isfahan harbor a parasitic infection. This emphasizes the importance of collection of these animals to improve hygienic parameters. J. Fac. Vet. Med. Unis’. Tehran. 57, 2: 25-2 7, 2002
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