Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog hookworm drug resistance gene found across US and Canada breeds
By Leutenegger, Christian M et al.·Published in International journal for parasitology. Drugs and drug resistance·2024·Antech Diagnostics, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Benzimidazole F167Y polymorphism in the canine hookworm, Ancylostoma caninum: Widespread geographic, seasonal, age, and breed distribution in United States and Canada dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A large study found that hookworms, specifically Ancylostoma caninum, were present in about 2.5% of dog stool samples collected across the United States and Canada. The study also identified a genetic change (F167Y polymorphism) in these hookworms that makes them resistant to a common treatment, with the highest rates of this resistance found in poodles and Bernese Mountain dogs. Puppies were particularly affected, showing higher rates of infection and resistance. This information is important for pet owners, especially in warmer regions, as it suggests that hookworm infections may be more common and harder to treat in certain breeds and during specific times of the year.
People also search for: dog hookworm treatment · puppy hookworm symptoms · poodle hookworm resistance · how to treat dog hookworms · Bernese Mountain dog hookworm infection
Abstract
Surveillance data for Ancylostoma spp. and the A. caninum benzimidazole treatment resistance associated F167Y polymorphism using molecular diagnostics was obtained in a large population of dogs from the United States and Canada. Real-time PCR (qPCR) for Ancylostoma spp. and allele-specific qPCR detecting a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) F167Y was used in 262,872 canine stool samples collected between March and December of 2022. Ancylostoma spp. was found at an overall prevalence of 2.5% (6538/262,872), with the highest prevalence in the Southern US, 4.4% (4490/103,095), and the lowest prevalence in Canada 0.6% (101/15,829). The A. caninum F167Y polymorphism was found with the highest prevalence (13.4%, n = 46/343) in the Western US and the lowest in Canada at 4.1% (4/97). The F167Y polymorphism was detected every month over the 10-month collection period. Seasonal distribution showed a peak in June for both Ancylostoma spp. (3.08%, 547/17,775) and A. caninum F167Y (12.25%, 67/547). However, the A. caninum F167Y polymorphism prevalence was highest in September (13.9%, 119/856). Age analysis indicates a higher prevalence of both hookworm infections and occurrence of resistant isolates in puppies. The breeds with the highest F167Y polymorphism prevalence in Ancylostoma spp. detected samples were poodles (28.9%), followed by Bernese Mountain dogs (25%), Cocker spaniels (23.1%), and greyhounds (22.4%). Our data set describes widespread geographic distribution of the A. caninum benzimidazole resistance associated F167Y polymorphism in the United States and Canada, with no clear seasonality compared to the Ancylostoma spp. prevalence patterns. The F167 polymorphism was present in all geographic areas with detected hookworms, including Canada. Our study highlights that the F167Y polymorphism is represented in many dog breeds, including greyhounds.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38237210/