Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Zoonotic parasites in feral dogs and cats in Guangxi, China
By Fang, Fang et al.·Published in BMC veterinary research·2015·College of Animal Science and Technology, China·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Zoonotic helminths parasites in the digestive tract of feral dogs and cats in Guangxi, China.
Plain-English summary
In Guangxi, China, researchers looked at feral dogs and cats to see if they had any harmful parasites in their digestive systems. They found that all 40 dogs and 37 out of 39 cats had gastrointestinal worms, identifying a total of 15 different types of these parasites. Some of these worms can cause infections in humans, which means they could pose a health risk to people living nearby. The study highlights that feral dogs and cats in this area carry several types of parasites that could potentially affect public health.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: In Guangxi, a province of southern China, an important number of dogs and cats roam freely in rural settings, and the presence of these animals in proximity of people may represent a risk of parasitic zoonoses. The objective of the present study was to investigate the presence and identify gastrointestinal helminths in feral carnivores in Guangxi province. Therefore, post mortem examination was performed in 40 dogs and in 39 cats. RESULTS: The Gastrointestinal helminths were found in all the necropsied dogs and in 37 out of 39 cats. Fifteen species were identified including 7 trematodes, 3 cestodes and 5 nematodes. Most of them may be responsible for zoonotic infections. CONCLUSIONS: Major zoonotic gastrointestinal helminths, including liver and intestinal flukes, Toxocara spp., and Ancylostoma spp., are present in feral dogs and cats in Guangxi, and may represent a significant risk for public health.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26276147/