Estimation of canine intestinal parasites in Córdoba (Spain) and their risk to public health

• Published in: Veterinary parasitology Vol. 143; no. 1; pp. 7 - 13
• Main Authors: Martínez-Moreno, F.J., Hernández, S., López-Cobos, E., Becerra, C., Acosta, I., Martínez-Moreno, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 19-01-2007
• Subjects: Animals; Canis; Dog; Dog Diseases - epidemiology; Dog Diseases - transmission; Dogs; Feces - parasitology; Female; Giardia; Humans; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic - epidemiology; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic - transmission; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic - veterinary; Intestinal parasites; Isospora; Male; Neospora; Parasite Egg Count - veterinary; Prevalence; Public Health; Risk Factors; Sarcocystis; Soil - parasitology; Spain; Spain - epidemiology; Taenia; Toxascaris; Toxocara; Uncinaria; Zoonoses; Intestinal parasites; Prevalence; Dog; Zoonoses; Spain
• ISSN: 0304-4017; 1873-2550
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2006.08.004

The prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in dogs was studied in the province of Córdoba (southern Spain), with special attention to those parasites that can be transmitted to man. The experiment was completed with the examination of soil samples from public parks and city gardens. The study was carried out over a population of 1800 animals entered in the Control Animal Centre (CECA) by coprological methods, and within this group, 300 dogs were sacrificed and necropsied. The prevalence of any intestinal parasitic infection was 71.33%. The following parasites of the gastrointestinal tract were recorded:
Isospora canis (22%),
Isospora (
Cystoisospora) spp. (10.22%),
Sarcocystis (2.5%),
Hammondia/
Neospora (1.94%),
Giardia canis (1%),
Dipylidium caninum (13.2%),
Taenia hydatigena (7.66%),
Taenia pisiformis (4%),
Uncinaria stenocephala (33.27%),
Toxascaris leonina (14.94%),
Toxocara canis (17.72%) and
Trichuris vulpis (1.66%). Related to public health, it is important to point out the presence of
T. canis only in puppies younger than one year and
Uncinaria, more frequent in adult dogs. Soil samples of parks revealed the presence of eggs of
Toxocara, and it suggests the existence of real risk for human infection.