Prevalence Of Intestinal Nematodes Research Articles

The prevalence of intestinal nematodes among red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in north-western Poland

BackgroundThe red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere and Australia. The presence of nematode-infected foxes in urbanized areas increases the risk of transmission of nematodes to domestic dogs and thus, to humans. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and species composition of intestinal nematodiasis in red foxes in Western Pomerania, a province in north-western Poland. The intestinal contents of 620 red foxes killed during a government reduction shooting programme were examined for adult nematodes using the sedimentation and counting technique (SCT).ResultsIntestinal nematodes, including Toxocara canis, Toxascaris leonina, Uncinaria stenocephala and Trichuris vulpis, were found in 77.3% (95% CI 73.8–80.4%) of the examined foxes with a mean infection burden of 20.1 nematode per animal. Male and female foxes had similar infection burdens.ConclusionsThe nematodes are present in high prevalence and intensity among foxes in north-western Poland. Furthermore, this high prevalence of nematodes in foxes may likely constitute a health risk to humans and domestic animals due to increasing fox densities in urban and periurban areas.

Prevalence of intestinal nematodes in equines from the southern region of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

The objective of the study was to estimate the prevalence of intestinal nematodes in equines from the southern region of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Twelve properties were included in the study. 385 equines, males and females, aged between six months and 27 years, were analyzed. The farms were considered infected when at least one equine had been reported positive. The parasitologic research was performed through McMaster and Coproculture techniques. Cyathostomins were found in all the properties and Strongylus vulgaris in only two. The prevalence of intestinal nematodes in the equines was: Cyathostomins (96.36%), Parascaris equorum (12.21%), Oxyuris equi (10.13%) and Strongyloides westeri (3.12%). The information concerning the prevalence of intestinal nematodes will contribute for the elaboration of parasite control programs in the region.

Cross-sectional study on gastro-intestinal parasites of equids in South-western Ethiopia

A cross sectional study was conducted in Jimma town from October 2010 to March 2011 with the objective of determining the status of intestinal nematode parasites of equids, and the association of different variables with infection rate. To address this, a total of 400 equids; donkeys (n = 29), horses (n = 317) and mules (n = 54) were used in this study and based on the coprological examination to identify parasite eggs, three species of nematodes were identified with an overall prevalence of 72.25%. A prevalence of 63.25%, 16.50%, 4.25%, and 10.75% were identified for Strongyles, Parascaris equorum, Oxyuris equi, and mixed infection respectively. Highest to lowest prevalence of Strongyles (63.72, 51.85 and 79.31%), P. equorum (17.98, 12.96 and 6.89%) and O. equi (5.04, 1.85 and 0.00%) were observed in horse, mule and donkey, respectively. The statistical analysis between the species of equine and strongyle infection rate, body condition scores with strongyle and P. equorum infection rate (p < 0.05). However, species of the animal was not significantly associated with P. equorum (p < 0.05). The infection rate of O. equi was not significantly associated with body condition score, age and species of equines (p > 0.05 for all variables) and no significant difference (p > 0.05) between the prevalence of intestinal nematodes and sex of the animal was showed. Therefore, the present study revealed that intestinal nematodes are an important health problem in the area affecting the wellbeing and productivity of equids.

The prevalence of intestinal nematodes in cats and dogs from Lancashire, north-west England.

To estimate prevalence of clinically-relevant intestinal nematodes in UK cats and dogs using the sensitive faecal analysis technique FLOTAC. Faecal samples were collected from 171 domestic dogs and 131 domestic cats living in urban areas of Lancashire and examined for the ova of intestinal parasites using the FLOTAC technique. All tested individuals were at least 6 months old, had not been treated with anthelmintics since 6 months of age nor in the 3 weeks prior to testing. In total, 5·3% of dogs (9/171) were positive for Toxocara canis; of these, 5/9 had <100 T. canis epg. Two dogs were positive for Uncinaria stenocephala, and 3 were positive for Strongyloides species. Single animals had Ancylostoma species and Spirocerca lupi infection. All egg counts were <100 epg. 26% of cats (34/131) were infected with Toxocara cati; of these, 6/34 had <100 T. cati epg. Two cats were positive for Strongyloides species, four for Ancylostoma species and single case for U. stenocephala, Toxascaris leonina and S. lupi. The high prevalence and zoonotic potential of Toxocara species in cats and dogs suggests the need for greater awareness of the need for repeated treatment. The discovery of S. lupi warrants further investigation and awareness of the clinical signs that this parasite may cause in cats and dogs.

Both sexes suffer increased parasitism and reduced energy storage as costs of reproduction in the brown anole,Anolis sagrei

Sexual selection theory proposes that males suffer reduced immune function and increased parasitism as costs of expressing sexual signals. Life-history theory proposes that females suffer the same costs because of inherent trade-offs between reproduction and self-maintenance. Mechanistically, each theory invokes an energetic tradeoff, although few experiments have directly compared these costs of reproduction between the sexes as a result of fundamental sex differences in the nature of reproductive investment and a tendency for each theory to focus on a single sex. To test whether males and females experience comparable costs of reproduction in terms of energetics, immune function, and parasitism, we used gonadectomy to eliminate most aspects of reproductive investment in wild brown anole lizards (Anolis sagrei) of both sexes. We compared these nonreproductive males and females with intact, reproductive controls with respect to stored energy (fat bodies), immune function (swelling response to phytohemagglutinin), and the prevalence and intensity of infection by four types of parasite (gastric nematodes, intestinal nematodes, faecal coccidia, and ectoparasitic mites). Gonadectomized anoles experienced dramatic increases in fat storage that were accompanied by decreases in the prevalence of intestinal nematodes and in the intensity of coccidia infection. These costs of reproduction were comparable between males and females, although neither sex exhibited the predicted increase in immune function after gonadectomy. Our results suggest that, despite fundamental sex differences in the nature of reproductive investment, both male and female anoles experience similar costs of reproduction with respect to energy storage and some aspects of parasitism. © 2015 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2015, 00, 000–000.

Albendazole Therapy and Enteric Parasites in United States–Bound Refugees

BackgroundBeginning on May 1, 1999, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended presumptive treatment of refugees for intestinal parasites with a single dose of albendazole (600 mg), administered overseas before departure for the United States.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study involving 26,956 African and Southeast Asian refugees who were screened by means of microscopical examination of stool specimens for intestinal parasites on resettlement in Minnesota between 1993 and 2007. Adjusted prevalence ratios for intestinal nematodes, schistosoma species, giardia, and entamoeba were calculated among refugees who migrated before versus those who migrated after the CDC recommendation of presumptive predeparture albendazole treatment.ResultsAmong 4370 untreated refugees, 20.8% had at least one stool nematode, most commonly hookworm (in 9.2%). Among 22,586 albendazole-treated refugees, only 4.7% had one or more nematodes, most commonly trichuris (in 3.9%). After adjustment for sex, age, and region, albendazole-treated refugees were less likely than untreated refugees to have any nematodes (prevalence ratio, 0.19), ascaris (prevalence ratio, 0.06), hookworm (prevalence ratio, 0.07), or trichuris (prevalence ratio, 0.27) but were not less likely to have giardia or entamoeba. Schistosoma ova were identified exclusively among African refugees and were less prevalent among those treated with albendazole (prevalence ratio, 0.60). After implementation of the albendazole protocol, the most common pathogens among 17,011 African refugees were giardia (in 5.7%), trichuris (in 5.0%), and schistosoma (in 1.8%); among 5575 Southeast Asian refugees, only giardia remained highly prevalent (present in 17.2%). No serious adverse events associated with albendazole use were reported.ConclusionsPresumptive albendazole therapy administered overseas before departure for the United States was associated with a decrease in the prevalence of intestinal nematodes among newly arrived African and Southeast Asian refugees.

Prevalence of Intestinal Nematodes of Patients Consulting Outpatient Clinics in Hospitals and Health Centers in Neinava Governorate, Iraq

A survey was carried out to investigate the nematode parasites in three successive years (2009~2011) in Mosul city, its suburbs and villages. Five species of nematodes were recorded namely: Enterobius vermicularis , Trichuris trachiura , Strongyloides stercoralis , Ancylostoma duodenale and Ascaris lumbricoides . The highest infection rate was by E. vermicularis (92.05 %) in female of age 1~4 in 2010 then by T. trachiura (71.42%) in the year 2009 and in age 1~4, then by S. stercoralis (62.5%) in the 2011 in age 1~4, then A. duodenale (58.33%) in the 2010 in age group 5~14, and lowest infection rate was by A lumbricoides (39.13%) in the year 2011 in age group 5~14. It can be concluded that all above infection rates are high compared to the previous studies, and to the surrounding countries, possibly due to many factors such as low hygienic level, some bad habits especially in defecation, in addition to deterioration of infrastructure due to wars.

Parasites as weapons of mouse destruction

Epidemiological models illustrate that parasites can drive fluctuations in host populations, but small-mammal ecologists have tended to reject parasitism as an important factor. In one of the few experimental tests of the impact of parasites on wildlife population dynamics, Pedersen and Greives reduced prevalence of intestinal nematodes in free-ranging populations of Peromyscus mice with and without access to supplemental food. In isolation, parasite removal and food addition reduced rates of population decline only modestly, but the two factors acted synergistically to strongly alleviate declines. It is tempting to disregard factors that, in isolation, have weak effects, but the results from Pedersen and Greives' multifactor experiment remind ecologists that complex factor interactions pervade real ecosystems.

Prevalence of intestinal nematodes in alcoholic patients.

We report the results of a retrospective study on the frequency of intestinal nematodes among 198 alcoholic and 440 nonalcoholic patients at the University Hospital Cassiano Antonio Moraes in Vit ria, ES, Brazil. The control sample included 194 nonalcoholic patients matched according to age, sex and neighborhood and a random sample of 296 adults admitted at the same hospital. Stool examination by sedimentation method (three samples) was performed in all patients. There was a significantly higher frequency of intestinal nematodes in alcoholics than in controls (35.3% and 19.2%, respectively), due to a higher frequency of Strongyloides stercoralis (21.7% and 4.1%, respectively). Disregarding this parasite, the frequency of the other nematodes was similar in both groups. The higher frequency of S. stercoralis infection in alcoholics could be explained by immune modulation and/or by some alteration in corticosteroid metabolism induced by chronic ethanol ingestion. Corticosteroid metabolites would mimic the worm ecdisteroids, that would in turn increase the fecundity of females in duodenum and survival of larvae. Consequently, the higher frequency of Strongyloides larvae in stool of alcoholics does not necessarily reflect an increased frequency of infection rate, but only an increased chance to present a positive stool examination using sedimentation methods.

Surveys on the prevalence of intestinal nematodes in dogs and cats in the Netherlands

Surveys on the prevalence of intestinal nematodes in dogs and cats in the Netherlands

Prevalence of Intestinal Nematodes in a Civilian, Adult, South Vietnamese Population

SummaryIn this study, over one-half of the specimens of stool submitted by South Vietnamese labor applicants were positive for intestinal nematodes. Nearly all positive specimens contained eggs of either Ascaris lumbricoides or hookworm. The comparatively low prevalence of Trichuris may be due to the relatively low numbers and resistance of its eggs or to the little moisture in the soil during part of the study. Multiple infections with nematodes were not rare. It is suggested that a significant portion of the adult South Vietnamese population harbors, in a relatively asymptomatic manner, enteric nematodes in a balanced hostparasite relation.