Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Toxocara larvae found in free-range chickens in Iran
By Shokri, Elham et al.·Published in BMC veterinary research·2022·Department of Parasitology and Mycology·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Detection of Toxocara species larvae in four Iranian free-range broiler farms.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study in Iran looked at free-range broiler chickens to see if they carried Toxocara larvae, which can be harmful to humans. Researchers collected tissue samples from 200 chickens and found that about 6.1% of the samples contained these larvae. Specifically, 10.5% of the chickens were infected, with a majority carrying Toxocara canis (from dogs) and some carrying Toxocara cati (from cats). The results suggest that eating chicken meat and organs, especially the liver and gizzards, could pose a risk of infection to people. To reduce this risk, it's important to regularly deworm pets and raise awareness about Toxocara infections.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The epidemiology of Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati in food animals, associated products, and their zoonotic potential are poorly understood. A cross sectional study was designed to determine the prevalence of Toxocara spp. larvae from free-range broiler chickens in traditional farms using conventional techniques and molecular method. Eight-hundred tissue samples including liver, gizzard, lungs and heart were collected from 200 chickens belonging to different regions of Zanjan Province, Iran and were processed by conventional and molecular methods. RESULTS: Out of 800 chicken tissues, 49 samples (6.1%) were positive for nematode larvae. Polymerase chain reaction was performed to identify species-specific of Toxocara larvae. The findings showed that 10.5% (21 out of 200) chickens were infected with Toxocara species, so that 57.1% (12 out of 21) of the samples were positive for Toxocara canis and 42.9% (9 out of 21) of the samples were positive for Toxocara cati. CONCLUSION: Considering the significant contamination/infection of free-range broiler chickens with Toxocara larvae, the consumption of chicken meat and viscera, especially liver and gizzards, can play an important role in the transmission of infection to humans. Prevention and control measures focused on regular deworming of dogs and cats, increasing public awareness of Toxocara infection are recommended.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36411453/