Types of Flukes that Infect Cats
Class | Species (Common Name) | How Contracted | Signs |
|---|---|---|---|
Intestinal flukes | Nanophyetus salmincola (salmon poisoning fluke); found in northwestern US, southwestern Canada, and Siberia | Cats eat raw or improperly prepared salmon and similar fish | Heavy infection causes enteritis (inflammation of the intestines). Infection is compounded by rickettsial infection carried by flukes (“salmon poisoning disease”). |
Alaria species; found in North America, South America, Europe, Australia, and Japan | Cats eat hosts (frogs, reptiles, rodents) | Heavy infection can cause bleeding in the lungs (larval migration damage) or enteritis (inflammation of the intestines caused by adult flukes). | |
Liver flukes | Opisthorchis species; found in eastern Europe, Italy, parts of Asia | Cats eat certain fish | Longterm presence causes thickening and scarring of bile and/or pancreatic duct walls. Fluid may build up in the abdomen. Liver or pancreatic cancer has been seen in longterm and severe cases. |
Platynosomum concinnum; found in southeastern US, Puerto Rico and other Caribbean Islands, South America, Malaysia, Hawaii and other Pacific islands, and parts of Africa | Cats acquire parasite by eating infected lizards and frogs | Mild cases seen as general unthriftiness. Severe cases (“lizard poisoning”) characterized by loss of appetite, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, and enlarged abdomen, leading to death. | |
Pancreatic fluke | Eurytrema procyonis; found in eastern US | Rare; cats acquire by feeding on infected snails or possibly insects | Weight loss and intermittent vomiting, but may cause no signs. |