Ocular thelaziosis due Thelazia callipaeda (Spirurida: Thelaziidae) in Romania: first report in domestic cat and new geographical records of canine cases

Thelazia callipaeda has been regarded in Europe in the last few decades as a new agent of an ocular disease in dogs, cats, several wild species, and not least in humans. After the first European description in Italy, in 1989, the parasite has been reported in many other countries, showing a widespread distribution of this parasite. The first case of canine thelaziosis in Romania has been reported in 2015, and it has been followed by other studies confirming the presence of the nematode in dogs or broadening the host spectrum with some wild carnivore species that have been found positive. Despite being considered suitable primary hosts for T. callipaeda, infection with T. callipaeda in domestic cat is rarely reported in Europe, probably due to some behavioral and physical particularities of this host. This study describes the first autochthonous report of T. callipaeda infection in a domestic cat from Romania. Additionally, to these findings, new geographical records of canine thelaziosis are being revealed, confirming the increased risk of this emerging vector-borne zoonosis.