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The occurrence of zoonotic parasites in rural dog populations from northern Portugal

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 February 2013

A.S. Cardoso ,
I.M.H. Costa ,
C. Figueiredo ,
A. Castro  and
M.A.P. Conceição
A.S. Cardoso
Affiliation:
Instituto Politécnico de Coimbra, Escola Superior Agrária, Bencanta, 3040-316Coimbra, Portugal
I.M.H. Costa
Affiliation:
Instituto Politécnico de Coimbra, Escola Superior Agrária, Bencanta, 3040-316Coimbra, Portugal
C. Figueiredo
Affiliation:
Departamento de Educação da Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
A. Castro
Affiliation:
ICETA/CECA, Universidade do Porto, Centro de Saúde Pública Dr. Gonçalves Ferreira, INSA, Porto, Portugal
M.A.P. Conceição*
Affiliation:
Instituto Politécnico de Coimbra, Escola Superior Agrária, Bencanta, 3040-316Coimbra, Portugal
*
*Fax: +35, 12398, 02979 E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

A survey of intestinal parasites in dogs was carried out in a rural region around Cantanhede, in northern Portugal, where 301 dog faecal samples were collected from small-ruminant farms. Saturated salt flotation and formol–ether sedimentation techniques were used. An enquiry was conducted in 234 farms and a risk factor evaluation for zoonotic helminths was determined among the 195 farmers who owned dogs. The overall parasite prevalence in faecal samples of dogs was 58.8%, with specific prevalences for Ancylostomidae being 40.9% followed by species of Trichuris (29.9%), Toxocara (8%), Isospora (4%), Capillaria (0.7%) and Spirometra (0.3%). Taeniidae eggs were present in five samples (1.7%) which were analysed with the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique and revealed to be from Taenia sp., and not Echinococcusgranulosus. This rural region has a traditional small-farm system, in which farm products are mainly for in-house consumption and home slaughtering is a current practice (57%). Analysis showed home slaughtering to be a statistically significant risk factor for the presence of Ancylostomidae (P= 0.007) and Toxocara sp. (P= 0.049). Owning cattle was found to be a significant risk factor for Taenia sp. (P= 0.031).

Type
Research Papers
Information
Journal of Helminthology , Volume 88 , Issue 2 , June 2014 , pp. 203 - 209
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

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