Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Intestinal parasites in dogs from Yucatan and public health risks
By Rodríguez-Vivas, Roger Ivan et al.·Published in Vector borne and zoonotic diseases (Larchmont, N.Y.)·2011·Campus de Ciencias Bioló·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: An epidemiological study of intestinal parasites of dogs from Yucatan, Mexico, and their risk to public health.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that 80% of dogs in a rural community in Yucatan, Mexico, had intestinal parasites, which can also affect humans. The most common parasite was Ancylostoma caninum, found in nearly 74% of the dogs. Young dogs under 2 years old and those in poor body condition were more likely to be infected. This highlights the importance of regular veterinary check-ups and fecal testing to catch and treat these parasites early, protecting both pets and their owners.
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Abstract
The prevalence of intestinal parasites in dogs and factors associated were studied in a rural community of Yucatan (southern Mexico), with special attention to those gastrointestinal parasites potentially transmitted to man. One hundred thirty dogs from 91 households were studied. Fecal samples were processed by the centrifugation-flotation and the McMaster techniques. To determine factors associated with zoonotic parasites in dogs, univariate analysis was performed, using sex, age, and body condition as independent variables. Variables with p < 0.2 were analyzed by a logistic regression. Of 130 dogs, 104 were positive for the presence of intestinal parasites, representing a prevalence of 80%. Eggs of four species of helminths (Ancylostoma caninum, Thichuris vulpis, Toxocara canis, and Dipylidium caninum) and coccidian oocysts were detected. A. caninum was the most prevalent parasite (73.8%), followed by T. vulpis (25.4%), T. canis (6.2%), D. caninum (2.3%), and coccidian oocysts (2.3%). The majority of dogs were infected by only one species of parasite (70/130, 53.8%). Mixed infection caused by two or three zoonotic parasites were discovered in 21.3% (30/130) and 3.1% (4/130), respectively. A. caninum showed the highest egg output (42.3% of dogs had ≥ 500 eggs per gram). Factors associated with zoonotic parasites were age (<2 years old; odds ratio = 5.30, p = 0.029) and body condition (poor body condition; odds ratio = 6.69, p = 0.026). In conclusion, young dogs from rural Yucatan, Mexico, with poor body condition had a higher prevalence of intestinal zoonotic parasites as these factors were associated with a higher risk of becoming infected.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21395413/