Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Eye worm infection in domestic dogs in Beijing and risk factors
By Liu, Zichen et al.·Published in Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland)·2024·Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, China·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Epidemiology of Ocular Thelaziosis in Domestic Dogs in Beijing.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study in Beijing found that 3.17% of domestic dogs were infected with a parasitic worm that can cause eye problems, known as Thelazia. Dogs that traveled to country parks or lived in mountainous areas during the summer and autumn were at a higher risk of infection, especially if they hadn't received deworming treatments. Interestingly, many infected dogs showed no symptoms, while those that did had moderate eye issues. To protect your dog, it's recommended to keep up with deworming treatments, especially if you take them to parks or mountainous areas during warmer months.
People also search for: dog eye problems · Thelazia in dogs · deworming dogs before park visits · symptoms of dog eye infections
Abstract
is a zoonotic parasitic nematode that lives in the ocular conjunctival sac of domestic and wild carnivores, lagomorphs, and humans, withspp. as its intermediate host. At present, the important role that domestic dogs play in thelaziosis has been studied in many countries. However, Beijing, which is the first city in China to experience human thelaziosis, has not yet conducted a comprehensive epidemiological analysis of the disease. In this study, we analyzed risk factors (region, season, age, sex, breed, size, living environment, diet, country park travel history, immunization history, anthelmintic treatment history, and ocular clinical symptoms) associated with the prevalence of thelaziosis in domestic dogs in Beijing. The overall prevalence ofin the study area was 3.17% (102/3215 domestic dogs; 95% CI 2.57-3.78%). The results of the risk factor analysis showed that thelaziosis in domestic dogs from Beijing was significantly correlated with regional distribution, seasonal distribution, country park travel history, and anthelmintic treatment history (< 0.05). In summer and autumn, domestic dogs living in mountainous areas, with a history of country park travel and without deworming were 4.164, 2.382, and 1.438 times more infected withthan those living in plain areas without a history of country park travel and with a history of deworming (OR = 4.164, OR = 2.382, OR = 1.438, respectively).-infected domestic dogs did not always show any ocular clinical symptoms, while symptomatic domestic dogs were mainly characterized by moderate symptoms. The results indicate that in summer and autumn, preventive anthelmintic treatment should be strengthened for domestic dogs with a country park travel history or those living in mountain areas. At the same time, we should be vigilant about taking domestic dogs to play in country parks or mountainous areas during summer and autumn because this may pose a potential risk of the owner being infected with.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38392904/