Epidemiological survey on gastro-intestinal and blood-borne helminths of dogs in north-east Gabon : research communication

B Davoust,O Bourry,E Leroy,T Normand,G Bourdoiseau,H Dang

doi:10.4102/ojvr.v75i4.112

B Davoust, O Bourry + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.4102/ojvr.v75i4.112

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Abstract

A survey of helminth parasites was carried out on 198 dogs living in almost complete liberty in villages in the northeast of Gabon. Faeces and blood samples were collected and analysed. Dirofilaria immitis antigen was detected in 13.6% of dogs using the SNAP 3Dx test, a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Faecal examination revealed that 91.4% of dogs were infected by intestinal helminths. Ascarids were found in 58.5% of the samples. Trichuris vulpis was observed in 49.5% of cases, and Uncinaria spp. and Ancylostoma spp. in 34.8%, Spirocerca lupi in 25.3% and Capillaria spp. in 10.6%. Cestode embryophores were found in 8.6% of the samples.

Highlights

In Equatorial Africa, helminths, nematodes and cestodes, regularly infect dogs as shown in prevalence studies conducted in Nigeria (Ugochukwu & Ejimadu 1985), the Congo (Pangui & Belot 1986) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Chartier & Chartier 1990)
Accepted for publication 14 August 2008—Editor a survey carried out in Libreville showed that 64 % (43/67) of dogs carried intestinal helminths and that 50 % (24/48) were infected by Dirofilaria immitis (Beugnet & Edderai 1998)
Our study focused on a population of semi-stray dogs living in 16 areas of Ogooué-Ivindo, a northeastern region of Gabon

Summary

Introduction

In Equatorial Africa, helminths, nematodes and cestodes, regularly infect dogs as shown in prevalence studies conducted in Nigeria (Ugochukwu & Ejimadu 1985), the Congo (Pangui & Belot 1986) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Chartier & Chartier 1990). In Gabon, a country located on the Equator, under the Gulf of Guinea, Accepted for publication 14 August 2008—Editor a survey carried out in Libreville showed that 64 % (43/67) of dogs carried intestinal helminths and that 50 % (24/48) were infected by Dirofilaria immitis (Beugnet & Edderai 1998). The aim of our study was to establish the prevalence of dirofilariosis and intestinal helminthosis in dogs, in a rural region of Gabon, situated 500 km to the east of Libreville. The survey comprised the collection of blood and faecal samples in 2003 followed by their analysis in the Parasitology Laboratory at the Ecole nationale vétérinaire (National School of Veterinary Medicine) in Lyon, France

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