Gapeworm infection of domestic cats in Puerto Rico

In a survey of 40 adult cats in Puerto Rico, 13 (33%) were found to be infected with the gapeworm Synagamus (Mammomonogamus) ierei. Direct fecal smear and necropsy were the methods used to detect the infection. Fourteen adult worm pairs were collected in one cat; the average was four. Histologically, evidence of chronic inflammation was observed in the nasopharynx of infected cats. The parasite occurs widely in the Caribbean region. It was concluded that the similarity of the gapeworm egg with those of hookworms and the recondite location of the adult gapeworm probably explain the lack of reports on the infection.