Journal of Parasitology and Vector Biology Vol. 4(1), pp. 7- 13, March 2012 Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/JPVB DOI: 10.5897/JPVB11.021 ISSN 2141-2510 ©2012 Academic Journals Full Length Research Paper Prevalence and intensity of gastrointestinal parasites of domestic cats in Ode – Irele and Oyo communities, Southwest Nigeria Oluyomi A. Sowemimo Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun, Nigeria. E-mail: yomi_showemimo@yahoo.com. Tel: +234-803-442-5965. Accepted 13 February, 2012 An epidemiological survey was conducted on gastrointestinal parasites among population of cats in two sub-urban communities, Ode-Irele and Oyo in Southwest Nigeria between April and September, 2008. A total of 200 faecal samples collected from domestic cats were processed and examined for eggs and cyst of parasites. The overall prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites obtained was 85.5%. The prevalences and intensities of parasites observed were as follows; Hookworm (57.0%; 194.0 ± 28.1epg), Toxocara cati (48.5%; 391.4 ± 101.2 epg), Isospora spp. (30.5%), Physaloptera spp. (27.0%; 59.4 ± 20.1 epg), Toxascaris leonina (23.5%; 34.6 ± 8.5 epg), Ollulanus tricuspis (21.5%; 42.1 ± 12.7 epg), Pseudophyllidia spp. (12.0%; 34.2 ± 20.7 epg), Trichuris spp. (8.5%; 12.0 ± 5.1 epg), Taenia spp. (7.5%; 103.0 ± 59.2 epg), Dipylidium caninum (5.0%; 9.6 ± 5.4 epg), Spirocerca lupi (1.5%; 1.0 ± 0.7 epg), Schistosoma spp. (2.0%; 0.9 ± 0.6 epg) and Capillaria spp. (2.0%; 9.2 ± 7.3 epg). Hookworm was the predominant species (57.0%). Concurrent infections with two or more parasites were recorded in 81.3% of the infected cats. Prevalence patterns were age-dependent, with T. cati and hookworm showing a decreasing prevalence with age of host. Cats aged 0 to 6 months showed higher prevalence of infection than older age groups. The overall prevalence of intestinal parasites may continue to rise due to lack of functional veterinary clinics; hence there is the urgent need for establishment of control based program in order to reduce the prevalence of parasitic infections among the cats. Key words: Prevalence, intestinal parasites, domestic cat, Toxocara cati, feline – zoonosis. INTRODUCTION The role of animal parasites, particularly those of the common household pets, in producing human disease has become increasingly apparent. Gastrointestinal parasites are the main causes of morbidity in domestic cats (Hendrix and Blagburn, 1983). Companion animals including cats and dogs contribute significantly to contamination of the environment with their faecal droppings which are deposited in public and private places. Unlike dogs, cats bury their faeces in soil, which leads to the accumulation of numerous enteric parasites in cats due to the fact that places use for defecation are often shared by several cats and this may lead to contamination of cats’ paws with infective eggs (Engbaek et al., 1984; Poglayen et al., 1985). Such a habit is favourable for many parasitic infective stages as it protects them from desiccation (Uga and Kataoka, 1995). The role of cats as definitive hosts for zoonotic parasites (Yamaguchi et al., 1996) has been recognized as a significant health problem worldwide (Schantz, 1994). Previous studies through faecal examination and necropsy surveys have shown that the ascarid nematode, Toxocara cati and the hookworm, Ancylostoma tubaeform were the commonly reported intestinal helminth parasite of cats worldwide (Power, 1970; Parsons, 1987). The prevalence of T. cati and Toxascaris leonina in adult cats have been reported to range from 8 to 85% (Overgaauw, 1997) with higher prevalence reported in kittens (Visco et al., 1978). Several factors could affect the frequency of a species of parasite in a population. The prevalence of intestinal