Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician (ALAT) Practice Exam

Which parasite can be transmitted through cat feces?

1. Giardia lamblia

2. Ascaris lumbricoides

3. Toxoplasma gondii

4. Entamoeba histolytica

The correct answer is: Toxoplasma gondii

Toxoplasma gondii is the correct choice because it is known to be transmitted through cat feces. Cats are the definitive hosts for this parasite, meaning that they are where T. gondii reproduces sexually. When cats excrete oocysts in their feces, these can contaminate soil, water, and food, leading to infection in humans and other animals. Ingesting these oocysts can occur through handling contaminated litter or soil, or through consuming undercooked food that has come into contact with infected environments. The other parasites listed do not have the same transmission route. Giardia lamblia is typically spread through fecal-oral contamination, often related to water sources. Ascaris lumbricoides, a type of roundworm, is primarily transmitted through ingestion of eggs from contaminated soil. Entamoeba histolytica, the causative agent of amoebic dysentery, is also transmitted via the fecal-oral route, primarily through contaminated food or water. Thus, Toxoplasma gondii is uniquely associated with transmission through cat feces among the options provided.