Detection of Intestinal Parasites in Stray Dogs from a Farming and Cattle Region of Northwestern Mexico.

Enrique Trasviña-Muñoz,Paulina Haro,Sergio Daniel Gómez-Gómez,Mariel Burquez-Escobedo,Gilberto López-Valencia,Sergio Arturo Cueto-Gonzalez,Julio Alfonso Mercado-Rodríguez,José Carlomán Herrera-Ramírez,Cesar Augusto Flores-Dueñas,Francisco Javier Monge-Navarro

doi:10.3390/pathogens9070516

Enrique Trasviña-Muñoz, Paulina Haro + Show 8 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens9070516

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Abstract

Stray dogs are one of the main reservoirs of intestinal parasitic infections and some have zoonotic potential. An epidemiological survey was carried out between September 2017 and May 2018 in Mexicali Valley, this area sacrifices around 92,470 head of cattle monthly, which represents 27% of the national slaughter and has 71,307 hectares for crops. In this period the Municipal Animal Control Center during their routine visits to the Mexicali Valley captured 103 dogs. All the dogs were evaluated using copromicroscopic techniques to detect intestinal parasites. The general frequency of parasitic infections was 28.15% (29/103), the most frequent parasite being Dipylidium caninum 16.50% (17/103), followed by Taenia spp. 6.79% (7/103), Taenia hydatigena 2.91% (3/103), Taenia serialis 0.97% (1/103), Taenia pisiformis (0.97%), Toxocara canis 3.88% (4/103), Toxascaris leonina 1.94% (2/103), and Cystoisospora spp. 1.94% (2/103). No significant statistical associations were found between parasitic infections and the studied variables (sex, age, and size) however; there was a significant statistical association with the capture area. Most of the parasites found in this survey have potential to affect the human population and animal production.

Highlights

Human activities cause alterations in the ecosystem that may result in negative consequences for the health of humans and many animal species [1]
The results of the parasitological analysis showed that 29/103 (28.15%) samples of feces and intestines were positive for intestinal parasites, being Dipylidium caninum the most frequent parasite found in 17/103 (16.50%) samples, followed by Taenia spp. 7/103 (6.79%), Toxocara canis 4/103 (3.88%), Toxascaris leonina 2/103 (1.94%), and Cystoisospora spp. 2/103 (1.94%)
The results demonstrate three cases of co-infection with D. caninum and Taenia spp. among all the positive cases (Table 1)

Summary

Introduction

Human activities cause alterations in the ecosystem that may result in negative consequences for the health of humans and many animal species [1]. Changes caused by urbanization, farming, and livestock activities along with the increase in population density, the lack of programs for the surveillance of many high-impact diseases and the absence of preventive medicine strategies for human and animal populations promote favorable ecological conditions for the development of parasitic diseases of public health importance in those populations [2]. In the northwest region of Mexico, the infections produced by intestinal parasites have been previously reported in the stray dog population from the city of Mexicali and are considered as an important public health problem [5]. The aim of the survey was to establish the frequency and geographical distribution of intestinal parasitic infections in stray dogs from a farming and cattle region of the Mexicali Valley and to demonstrate the risk of intestinal parasites to livestock and agriculture activities

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Conclusion