Toxocara Canis In Dogs Research Articles

A cross-sectional study to quantify the prevalence of Toxocara canis in dogs in the Central Highlands of Vietnam.

Toxocara canis is a globally distributed zoonotic parasite. The parasite has recently become a concern for public health in Vietnam. This cross-sectional study aimed to identify and quantify the risk factors associated with T. canis infection in dogs in Dak Lak province in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The risk factors were identified using a mixed-effects logistic regression model and quantified using population attributable fractions. Examination of fecal samples collected from 1455 dogs using the sodium nitrate flotation technique showed 37.32% (95% CI: 34.83-39.86) of dogs infected with T. canis. The factors, including study location, multiple dogs living in a household, dog age, dog breed, and places keeping dogs were associated with a dog's likelihood of being T. canis infection. The household and individual dog levels contributed 17% and 82%, respectively, to the prevalence of T. canis in dogs. The adjusted population attributable fraction for confining dogs and raising an individual dog per household was 52% and 27%, respectively. The result of this study indicated that to minimize the burden of T. canis, intervention measures should target individual dogs and household levels.

Prevalence and risk factors associated with Toxocara canis in dogs and humans in Egypt: A comparative approach.

Dogs are the most popular pet animals worldwide, and their frequent and close contact with humans poses an increased risk of zoonotic parasite transmission. Toxocara canis infection is a highly pervasive and economically significant zoonotic infection transmitted by dogs worldwide, commonly in tropical and subtropical regions, particularly in developing countries. This study evaluates the epidemiological profile and associated risk factors of T. canis exposure among humans and T. canis infection in domestic dogs in two climatically different governorates in Egypt. Faecal samples from 360 domiciled dogs were examined using the flotation technique to detect T. canis eggs. In addition, 276 human serum samples were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay over a period of 10 months from May 2021 to February 2022 in the Alexandria and Qena Governorates, Egypt. Shedding of T. canis was identified in 33.33% (120/360) of dogs and the overall seroprevalence in the human population was 20.65% (57/276). Lower Egypt, represented by the Alexandria Governorate, had higher canine infection (39.47%) and human seropositivity (29.87%) rates than those of Upper Egypt, represented by Qena Governorate (26.47% and 9.02% in dogs and humans, respectively). Statistical analysis of the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants revealed that handwashing, washing of vegetables and fruits and sex were associated with human T. canis exposure. The prevalence rates of confirmed T. canis infection in the Egyptian dogs population and the associated human seropositivity rates reflect its importance as a public health concern and support the call to increase public awareness of this issue. The risk factors identified in this study can contribute to the development of more effective control and prevention strategies.

Prevalence of intestinal parasites in animal hosts and potential implications to animal and human health in Edo, Nigeria.

Intestinal parasites in livestock cause huge economic setbacks. Moreover, these parasites can threaten human health when also present in companion animals. The study examined the prevalence and burden of intestinal parasites among roaming/migrating animals (goats, sheep, cattle, and dogs) to provide insights into the risk of potential human parasitic infections. A total of 1,741 fecal samples from goats (n = 920), sheep (n = 335), cattle (n = 230) and dogs (n = 256) were obtained randomly across 18 local government areas in Edo State, Nigeria. The parasite samples were recovered and identified under a microscope. Molecular tools were used to identify Toxocara spp. Eighteen different parasites were isolated. Among the different groups of parasites observed, nematodes occurred the most, followed by protozoans. Among nematodes, Haemonchus was most prevalent in goats (28.04%) and sheep (29.85%), while Strongyloides (10.86%) and Bunostomum (8.69%) were relatively high in cattle. Strongyloides (3.9%), hookworm (3.9%), and Toxocara (3.12%) were the predominant parasites in dogs. For protozoan parasites, Eimeria was most common in all 4 animal hosts. Several goats (2.39%) and sheep (2.38%) tested positive for Fasciola spp. Molecular analysis confirmed Toxocara canis in dogs for the first time in Nigeria. The major parasites recovered from these roaming/migrating animals have zoonotic potentials that can threaten human health.

Sources of environmental contamination with Toxocara spp.: An omnipresent parasite.

Embryonated Toxocara eggs in the environment are considered to be the most important source of human toxocariasis. These eggs, however, are also a source of infection for the definitive and paratenic hosts. Most available literature focuses on Toxocara canis in dogs, or other canids. There are, however, other Toxocara species with their accompanying definitive hosts. Results from studies that modelled patent infections in dogs, cats and foxes show that although dogs are a very important source for environmental contamination with Toxocara eggs, other sources cannot be ignored. For a good understanding of the relative contributions of different definitive hosts to environmental contamination with Toxocara eggs, computational models should be built and fed with data from different fields of expertise as is discussed in this paper.

Seroprevalencia de <i>Toxocara canis</i> en perros de las ciudades de Corrientes y Esperanza (Argentina)

<i>Toxocara canis</i> es un nematode de los caninos, que accidentalmente afecta al hombre provocando una enfermedad parasitaria zoonótica denominada toxocariasis. Los cachorros son responsables de la contaminación del ambiente a través de la eliminación de huevos infectantes al medio, mientras que las perras adultas representan un potencial reservorio, por ser capaces de transmitir verticalmente el parásito a sus crías. La infección en seres humanos constituye un problema sanitario de gran interés, principalmente por su impacto en niños. Los estudios coproparasitológicos en perros adultos han demostrado ser poco eficientes para detectar la infección. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar valores de seroprevalencia de anticuerpos anti- <i>T. canis</i> en caninos de dos ciudades de Argentina. Se estudiaron perros de diferentes barrios de las ciudades de Corrientes y Esperanza. Se realizó el test de ELISA indirecto para detección de anticuerpos de tipo IgG específicos para <i>T. canis</i>. En Corrientes se estudiaron 119 perros. El análisis reveló que el 84,9% (n=101) de los canes presentaba serología positiva. En Esperanza se estudiaron 82 perros; el ELISA indirecto reveló que el 51,2% (n=42) del total de los canes presentaban serología positiva para este parásito. Los valores hallados son consistentes con los encontrados por otros autores en estudios similares, y no así con aquellos en los que se emplearon métodos directos para detección de huevos en heces, los cuales en general informan valores menores de prevalencia. La alta seroprevalencia hallada sugiere la necesidad de implementar medidas de control de la infestación en perros y de esa manera reducir el riesgo de transmisión al hombre.

Determination of anthelmintic efficacy against Toxocara canis in dogs by use of capsule endoscopy

Industry guidelines for anthelmintic testing call for postmortem inspection of animals to verify treatment efficacy. A previous study showed that capsule endoscopy (CE) can be performed on dogs in vivo to quantify hookworms in the small intestine. Adoption of a minimally invasive procedure such as this could reduce the need for necropsy in efficacy trials. The present study employed CE to enumerate Toxocara canis in dogs, with two main goals: to determine if multiple capsule examinations improves the accuracy of worm counts compared to a single examination, and to establish if the efficacy of an anthelmintic compound is the same whether calculated using CE or necropsy data. To avoid needless animal sacrifice, the study was carried out on beagle dogs already in a product development trial with a planned terminal endpoint. Dogs were infected by oral inoculation with T. canis eggs. Untreated control dogs (n=8) were evaluated by CE three times while dogs treated with test compounds (3 groups of 4) were examined only once. Utilizing either the average count or just the last complete capsule examination, a robust correlation was found between CE and postmortem numbers (r=0.94, p<0.001). Calculated anthelmintic efficacy was essentially identical for the two enumeration methods, ranging from 94% to 100% for the three research compounds. CE may therefore be a viable alternative to necropsy for T. canis parasiticide trials.

Efficacy of eprinomectin against Toxacara canis in dogs

This study was made to investigate efficacy of eprinomectin against to Toxocara canis in dogs. In the study, 20 stray dogs naturally infected with T. canis were divided into two groups as treatment (ten dogs) and control (ten dogs). Eprinomectin (100 microg/kg, Eprinex 250 ml) was given to treatment group dogs orally, and eggs per gram were determined in the faeces on the day of pre-treatment and the second, fourth, sixth, eighth and tenth days of post-treatment. No side effects associated with nervous, respiratory, gastrointestinal systems and some haematological parameters were observed. In conclusion, eprinomectin was determined to be 100% effectual against T. canis.

Toxocara cati: an underestimated zoonotic agent.

The role of Toxocara cati as a zoonosis is reviewed. It is suggested that, despite case histories of human infection in the literature, historical factors have led to T. cati being under-recognized as a zoonosis, particularly when compared with the prominence given to Toxocara canis in dogs. Differentiation of the two infections remains challenging even today. It is recommended that further work be conducted to facilitate differentiation so that the importance of T. cati as a zoonosis can be clearly defined.

The IgA antibody activities in relation to the parasitologic status of toxocara canis in dogs

In this study, the relationship between the IgA antibody activities to Toxocara canis infection in dogs and their parasitologic status has been examined. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was applied to the sera of dogs for the detection of the specific IgA antibodies and at the same time, autopsy and stool examination were performed on these dogs. The most elevated IgA antibody levels were observed in the one-month age group of puppies. Thereafter, the levels gradually decreased until six and 10 months of age. These low levels were maintained in adult dogs. However, the IgA antibody activities were not related to the age and the number of worms when the correlation coefficients were calculated. It was suggested from the results obtained that the elevated IgA antibodies at one month of age may have been due to the locally stimulated immunitiy by the adult worms grown up in the intestines and as a result, could be detected in the circulation.

The IgM antibody activities in relation to the parasitologic status of Toxocara canis in dogs

In order to interpret the relation between the IgM antibody activities to Toxocara canis (T. canis) and the parasitologic status, sera from puppies and adult dogs were measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. At the same time, autopsy was performed on these dogs for counting the number of T. canis worms and stool examination was carried out for observing the fertilization of eggs. The rates of infection by T. canis in the dogs decreased with age. The number of worms in the intestines ranged one to 39. The IgM antibody activities gradually increased until 3 months of age. Thereafter the significant levels were maintained even at the adult age. However, the IgM antibody levels were not associated with the age and the number of worms (P > 0.05) when the correlation coefficients were calculated between them. In contrast to the IgG antibodies, the results of the present study indicated that the IgM antibody activities do not relate to the age, the number of worms and the fertilization of eggs.

Evaluation of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detecting antibodies to Toxocara canis in dogs.

Evaluation of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detecting antibodies to Toxocara canis in dogs.

ライオン回虫&lt;I&gt;Toxascaris leonina&lt;/I&gt;自然感染犬の治験例追補ならびに人工感染犬の駆虫試験

An outbreak and a spontaneous case of Toxascaris leonina infection were previously reported by the authors among dogs in Tokyo. After that, two additional cases of this infection were observed among dogs in different areas of the same city.Clinical experiences were detailed. Routine doses of a piperazine compound and a diphenthane-toluene complex were found effective.As in the previous experiment, 9 dogs, including puppies, were successfully infected when fed infective embryonated eggs of this parasite. The eggs began to appear in their feces 54 to 77 days after infection. Then the 9 dogs were treated experimentally with such anthelmintics as toluene, tetrachlorethylene, n-butyl-chloride, and a piperazine compound which had been employed common against Toxocara canis in dogs. As a result, tetrachlorethylene, n-butyl-chloride, and the piperazine compound, at routine doses against this parasite, showed a complete or nearly complete anthelmintic effect.This parasite had been rarely known in Japan. Nevertheless, 2 cases of this infection were revealed in a year or so, in addition to the cases reported previously by the authors. Moreover, this parasite was recovered contemporaneously in Korea and Saghalien. Therefore, a question was aroused on its distribution in Japan.A review on Japanese papers concerning helminthological surveys among dogs was presented.Several papers reported the occurrence of T. canis infection among adult dogs. The authors are of opinion that an ascarid that was really T. leonina might have been erroneously referred to as T. canis in many cases.