Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Giardia and intestinal parasites in dogs in Northern Belgium
By Claerebout, E et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology·2009·Faculty of Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Giardia and other intestinal parasites in different dog populations in Northern Belgium.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study in Northern Belgium found that Giardia, a common intestinal parasite, was present in 9.3% of household dogs, but infection rates were much higher in kennel dogs at 43.9%. Dogs with gastrointestinal issues also showed significant Giardia infections at 18.1%. Puppies were more likely to be infected than adult dogs. The research highlighted that while household dogs had a lower overall prevalence, they still faced a zoonotic risk, particularly from Giardia, which can be transmitted to humans. Treatment for Toxocara, another parasite, was linked to higher infection rates in household dogs.
People also search for: dog diarrhea Giardia treatment · puppy intestinal parasites · kennel cough and Giardia in dogs
Abstract
The objectives of this study were to obtain data on the prevalence of intestinal parasites in different dog populations in northern Belgium, to estimate the zoonotic risk associated with these infections and to identify potential risk factors. Between 2004 and 2007 a total of 1159 faecal samples were collected from 451 household dogs, 357 dogs from breeding kennels and 351 dogs with gastrointestinal disorders. The samples from dogs with gastrointestinal disorders were sent to the diagnostic Laboratory for Parasitology at Ghent University by veterinary practitioners. In household dogs the prevalence of intestinal parasites was relatively low. Giardia was the most commonly found parasite (9.3%, CI 5.5-13.1), followed by Toxocara canis (4.4%, CI 2.7-6.8). Much higher infection rates were observed in kennel dogs, especially for Giardia spp. (43.9%, CI 37.8-50.0); T. canis (26.3%, CI 21.8-31.2) and Cystoisospora spp. (26.3%, CI 21.8-31.2). Also in dogs with gastrointestinal problems, Giardia spp. (18.1%, CI 13.1-23.1), Cystoisospora spp. (8.8%, CI 6.1-12.3) and T. canis (7.4%, CI 4.9-10.7) were the most frequently detected parasites. In all dog populations pups were more frequently infected with Cystoisospora (P<0.0001 to P<0.05), Giardia (P<0.001 to P<0.05), and T. canis (P<0.0001 to P<0.001) than adult dogs, except for T. canis in household dogs, where this correlation was not significant. A significant association of anthelmintic treatment with T. canis infections was only observed within the household population. Household dogs with a higher number of treatments per year were more frequently infected with T. canis (P<0.05). There was a significant difference between the different breeding kennels for the occurrence of Cystoisospora, Giardia and T. canis (P<0.0001) and large kennels harboured relatively more infected animals than smaller breeding facilities (P<0.05). However, this was not significant for Giardia spp. Breed and gender did not affect the risk of an infection in any of the study populations. Toxocara and Giardia present a zoonotic risk, especially in household dogs, where the majority of Giardia positive samples (80%) belonged to the zoonotic assemblage A. In kennel dogs and clinically affected dogs the host-specific Giardia assemblages C and D were most prevalent (94% and 80%, respectively).
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19155136/