Helminths of Cats (Felis catus Linnaeus, 1758) and Their Larval Stages in Reptiles in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

An examination of 360 feral cats originating from three major habitats in the Dubai Emirate between 2002 and 2024 revealed the presence of 14 helminths, as follows: Joyeuxiella pasqualei, Joyeuxiella gervaisi, Diplopylidium nölleri, Diplopylidium acanthotetra, Hydatigera taeniaeformis, Taenia hydatigena, Ancylostoma braziliense, Ancylostoma ceylanicum, Ollulanus tricuspis, Toxocara cati, Toxascaris leonina, Pterygodermatites cahirensis, Centrorhynchus aluconis and Macracanthorhynchus catulinus. During the same period, a total of 66 snakes (eight species) and 68 lizards (four species) from different locations in the Dubai Emirate were examined for parasites. The larval stages of the cestode genera Joyeuxiella and Diplopylidium, as well as cystacanths of Centrorhynchus sp. and Macracanthorhynchus sp. and the larval stages of two nematodes were detected. All of the snake species except sand boas, as well as two gecko species, harbored the larval stages of cestodes of the Dipylidiidae family. The high prevalence of Joyeuxiella and Diplopylidium in the cats that originated from the city center of Dubai, where the presence of reptiles can be excluded, suggests that certain arthropods might be involved in the life cycle of these cestodes as first intermediate hosts and that reptiles are paratenic hosts.