Hemorrhagic Meningoencephalomyelitis Due to Ectopic Localization of <i>Aelurostrongylus abstrusus</i> in a Cat: First Case Report

Abstract

The lungworm <i>Aelurostrongylus abstrusus</i> is one of the main causes of respiratory diseases in cats worldwide. This report describes the unusual case of a kitten infected with <i>A. abstrusus</i> and presented to a veterinary clinic in Brazil with lethargy, dysphagia, non-ambulatory tetraplegia, and pelvic limbs bilateral myoclonus. The clinical picture of the kitten worsened with generalized flaccid tetraplegia and death a few days after hospitalization. At necropsy, hemorrhagic necrosis and subarachnoid hemorrhages were detected in several areas of the central nervous system. Nematode stages were found at post-mortem histological examinations in lungs, cerebellum, subarachnoid space of the brain and spinal cord. Microscopic and molecular (PCRs-coupled-sequencing protocols) examination showed the presence of <i>A. abstrusus</i> in histological samples. This study describes the first neurological aelurostrongylosis due to ectopic localization of adult worms in the central nervous system of a cat, causing acute hemorrhagic multifocal meningoencephalomyelitis. Further studies are necessary to elucidate whether unusual localizations and the migration of <i>A. abstrusus</i> are more frequent than expected.