Abstract
Ζoonotic parasitic diseases that can occur through animal contact pose risks to pets, their owners and to their bond. This study aims to assess the level of knowledge about zoonoses, specifically echinococcosis and toxocariasis, among cat/dog owners and non-pet owners in Greece. Multiple-choice questionnaires were designed to obtain data regarding the knowledge of pet and non-pet owners on echinococcosis and toxocariasis, including signs and symptoms of these zoonoses, ways of transmission and precautions that need to be taken into account in order to avoid it. A total of 185 questionnaires were retrieved and data was expressed as absolute (Ν) and relative frequencies (%). Associations between pet ownership, residence and outcome variables were evaluated using the Fisher exact test and Chi-squared test, respectively. Multifactorial linear regression analysis was used to investigate the cross-sectional association between demographic characteristics and the awareness of helminthic zoonoses. All tests were two-sided and statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Our study revealed a disturbing lack of awareness of echinococcosis and toxocariasis (mean zoonotic knowledge score 8.11 ± 3.18) independently of pet ownership. Surprisingly, in some cases the ignorance of pet owners exceeded that of non-pet owners. Given the progressive impact of toxocariasis in public health and the high prevalence of echinococcosis in the Mediterranean region, measures should be taken to inform people about zoonoses and eliminate their putative transmission.
Highlights
Nowadays, many households own at least one pet, with dogs and cats being the most common ones, followed by fish, birds, rabbits and hamsters [1]
Data analysis was restricted to only dog and/or cat owners and non-pet owners, in a total of 185 (93%) respondents
The rate of dog or cat owners and non-pet owners of those responded the questionnaire was almost shared, as 55% of them owned at least one pet and 45% were non-pet owners
Summary
Many households own at least one pet, with dogs and cats being the most common ones, followed by fish, birds, rabbits and hamsters [1]. Humans and pets develop a strong emotional relationship, known as the “human-animal bond”, and many studies support the benefits it offers in terms of socialization, physical and mental health [2,3]. It is widely accepted that pets contribute to improving recovery rates for a large number of diseases such as cardiovascular or respiratory problems, anxiety and depression [4]. This close relationship between animals and humans may result in an increased risk of exposure to infectious diseases since pets are a potential. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 5292; doi:10.3390/ijerph17155292 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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