dc.description.abstract | The wild cat (Felis silvestris), spread in Romania from the Danube Delta to the mountain range
is present in the Banat area, on the hunting ground that can be contaminated with different stage
developmental forms of parasites, some of them having real zoonotic potential. The wild cat is an
animal protected by the Romanian law of protection animals.
Coprological samples from 88 wild cats from 16 hunting grounds, as well as the gastrointestinal tract
collected from six wild cats cadavers and the molecular characterization of the cestodes identifi ed
in their intestines, allowed us to establish intestinal parasitic fauna. During coprological examination
Isospora oocysts, tapeworm eggs, eggs of Toxocara cati, Ancylostoma spp. and Capillaria spp
were found. At the same time, the form of genera Mesocestoides, Taenia, Toxocara/Toxascaris and
Ancylostoma were identifi ed at necropsy. Further polymerase chain reaction (PCR) identifi cation
revealed the species of Taenia taenieformis, and Mesocestoides litteratus, the latter providing a
zoonotic potential.
This study, the fi rst in the western part of the country (Banat area, Timis County), provides information
about the parasitic fauna of wild cats and underlines the importance of the human contamination risk. | sr |