Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Intestinal worm infections in rural dogs of eastern Australia
By Jenkins, D J et al.·Published in Australian veterinary journal·2014·School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Echinococcus granulosus and other intestinal helminths: current status of prevalence and management in rural dogs of eastern Australia.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that rural dogs in eastern Australia and Tasmania have a low but concerning presence of Echinococcus granulosus, a type of tapeworm. Out of 1,425 dogs tested, about 3% were positive for this parasite, with higher rates in Tasmania. The most common intestinal worms were hookworms and whipworms, while roundworms were less frequent. Many dog owners were not deworming their pets often enough, which can lead to ongoing infections. Improving deworming practices and managing how dogs are fed, especially with raw meat, could help reduce the spread of these parasites.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Ascertain the prevalence of intestinal helminths in rural dogs from eastern Australia and Tasmania. Identify farm management practices contributing to the perpetuation and transmission of Echinococcus granulosus. METHODS: Helminth infection in dogs was determined microscopically through faecal flotation. Infection with E. granulosus was determined via faecal antigen-capture ELISA and coproPCR. Taeniid eggs were identified using molecular methods. Data on dog management and owner understanding of hydatid disease were collected via questionnaire. RESULTS: Faeces were collected from 1425 Australian rural dogs (1119 mainland; 306 Tasmania). Eggs of hookworms were most prevalent, up to 40.2%, followed by whipworms (Trichuris vulpis), up to 21.2%. Roundworms (Toxocara canis and Toxascaris leonine) were least common, up to 6.1%. Taeniid eggs were found in 11 dogs (5 Taenia pisiformis; 2 T. serialis; 4 T. hydatigena); 2 of the T. hydatigena-infected dogs were also E. granulosus coproantigen-positive. Of the 45 dogs found to be E. granulosus coproantigen-positive, 24 were in Tasmania, 16 in NSW, 3 in Victoria and 2 in Queensland. Three Tasmanian coproantigen ELISA-positive dogs were also coproPCR-positive. The most common dog ration was commercial dry food, but half the owners fed raw meat to their dogs and some fed offal of lambs (8.9%) or mutton (7.8%). More than half (69%) of owners weighed their dogs before deworming. Few dewormed their dogs often enough to ensure they remained cestode-free and owners hunting wildlife usually left carcases where they were shot. CONCLUSIONS: E. granulosus is still present in Australian rural dogs, including Tasmania, but at low levels. Owner behaviour perpetuates transmission of cestodes.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25066196/