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Epidemiological investigation of gastrointestinal parasites in dog populations in Basra province, Southern Iraq

Journal of Parasitic Diseases volume 41, pages 1006–1013 (2017)Cite this article

Abstract

The understanding of the epidemiology of canine parasitic infections is necessary for an efficient control program to minimize the risk of zoonotic transmission. The objectives of this study were (1) to determine the prevalence of canine gastrointestinal helminths and protozoa in Basra province, Southern Iraq, and (2) to identify the association of epidemiological characteristics (age, breed, gender, and feed type) of dogs with the parasitic infections. A total of 93 fecal samples, collected in the period from December 2014 to June 2015, were examined macroscopically and microscopically for the presence of worm eggs and protozoal oocysts, using centrifugal flotation method. The overall prevalence of infected dogs was 77.4% (72/93). About 54.8% (51/93) dogs were infected with more than one genus of parasites. The prevalence of multiple infections with two, three, and four parasites was 30.1% (28/93), 22.6% (21/93), and 2.2% (2/93), respectively. The most frequently detected parasites were Toxocara canis (62.4%, 58/93), Physaloptera spp. (28%, 26/93), Alaria spp. (26.9%, 25/93), Trichuris vulpis (9.7%, 9/93), and Ancylostoma caninum (7.5%, 7/93). Isospora canis (6.5%, 6/93) and Giardia spp. (4.3%, 4/93) were the only protozoan parasites identified in this study. Toxocara canis infection was significantly associated with sex and age of the dogs (P < 0.05). Feeding type was significantly associated with the occurrence of T. canis (P < 0.0001), A. caninum (P < 0.03) and Alaria spp. (P < 0.02). The high prevalence of intestinal helminths in dog’s population suggesting the need for more efficient control measures. The high prevalence of T. canis, T. vulpis, A. caninum and Giardia spp. suggested that dogs could play an active role in the transmission of zoonotic parasites in this area of Iraq. Educating the dog owners and increasing their health awareness should be considered in the control program. The results of the present study provide relevant “base-line” data for assessing the effectiveness of future control strategies against canine parasitic infections.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the veterinarians and staff members of veterinary clinics for their assistance in obtaining and processing fecal samples. We would also like to thank the anonymous dog owners who provided access to the data about their dogs.

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Author notes

  1. Khawla B. N. Al-Jassim and Yasser S. Mahmmod have equally contributed to this study.

Affiliations

  1. Central Animal Laboratory of Basra, Veterinary Hospital, Basra, 61004, Basra Province, Iraq

    Khawla B. N. Al-Jassim & Zainab M. Salem

  2. Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1870, Frederiksberg C, Denmark

    Yasser S. Mahmmod & Azmi Al-Jubury

  3. Infectious Diseases, Department of Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig City, Sharkia Province, 44511, Egypt

    Yasser S. Mahmmod

Authors
  1. Khawla B. N. Al-Jassim
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  2. Yasser S. Mahmmod
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  3. Zainab M. Salem
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  4. Azmi Al-Jubury
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Correspondence to Yasser S. Mahmmod.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest. No competing financial interests exist.

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All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed. All procedures performed in the study involving animals were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institution or practice at which the study was conducted.

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Al-Jassim, K.B.N., Mahmmod, Y.S., Salem, Z.M. et al. Epidemiological investigation of gastrointestinal parasites in dog populations in Basra province, Southern Iraq. J Parasit Dis 41, 1006–1013 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12639-017-0926-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12639-017-0926-2

Keywords

  • Epidemiology
  • Dogs
  • Helminths
  • Protozoa
  • Prevalence
  • Gastrointestinal parasites