Neurotropic parasites of small companion animals: an overlooked neurological concern
The present review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of parasitic diseases impacting the nervous systems of small companion animals.Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum are well-documented pathogens linked to neurological disorders; however, a variety of other parasitic agents, ranging from unicellular protozoa to complex helminths, also exhibit a tropism for the nervous system in these animals.Parasites can exert a direct influence on the nervous system through mechanisms that reflect their inherent neurotropism (e.g.Encephalitozoon cunicoli and Gurltia paralysans).Additionally, they may indirectly compromise neurological function through several distinct mechanisms: i) ectopic dislocation
Authors
- Leonardo Brustenga (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9086-1434)
- Claudia Tamponi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0373-6430)
- Stefania Zanet (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7543-399X)
- Maria Teresa Mandara
- Giulia Morganti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6795-4605)
- Antonio Varcasia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6306-9978)
- Fabrizia Veronesi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1082-5666)
- Manuela Diaferia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7128-0263)
- A. Scala (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7200-1278)
Institutions
- University of Sassari (IT)
- University of Perugia (IT)
- University of Turin (IT)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Parasitology
- Published
- 2026-04-28
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1017/s0031182026102108
- Primary Topic
- Parasitic infections in humans and animals
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- University of Cambridge