Prevalence and risk factors for patent Toxocara infections in cats and cat owners’ attitude towards deworming

Nijsse, Rolf; Ploeger, H.W.; Wagenaar, Jaap A.; Mughini‐Gras, Lapo

doi:10.1007/s00436-016-5242-8

Cited by 44 publications

(59 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Similar results were recorded in the household cats studied, but this was probably due to the fact that the majority of them also live partially outdoors. The parasitism reported in household cats in this study is in agreement with the infection rates reported in Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Hungary, Italy, Romania and Spain [6, 8, 21]. …”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…since those infections were only microscopically diagnosed and as previously suggested they could either belong to T. canis or T. cati since coprophagy is not unusual for dogs and the presence of T. cati eggs in dog faeces might in fact relate to pseudoparasitism [73, 74]. The infection rates found in the present study are similar to those reported in Europe which vary from 3.5 to 34.0% for T. canis in dogs from different epidemiological environments and from 7.2 to 76.0% for T. cati in cats [8, 10, 18, 52, 75–79]. The Toxocara infection was high, especially in shelter dogs and cats, as also reported before [24, 80, 81].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

“…Intestinal parasite infections are still abundant in companion animals, despite all the highly efficient drug formulations available and the control measures taken by owners and veterinarians [1–8]. Moreover, parasites are responsible for some of the most important and well-recognized zoonoses transmitted from companion animals to man globally such as Giardia spp., Cryptosporidium spp., Toxocara spp., hookworms and Echinococcus granulosus [9–13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Abundance, zoonotic potential and risk factors of intestinal parasitism amongst dog and cat populations: The scenario of Crete, Greece

Kostopoulou

Claerebout

Arvanitis³

et al. 2017

Parasites Vectors

106

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BackgroundThe objectives of this study were to evaluate the prevalence and infection intensity of intestinal parasites in different dog and cat populations in Crete, Greece, estimate the zoonotic risk and identify risk factors.MethodsFaecal samples from shelter, household and shepherd dogs and shelter and household cats were analyzed using sedimentation/flotation techniques. Giardia and Cryptosporidium were detected by a quantitative direct immunofluorescence assay (IFA). PCR and sequencing was performed to evaluate the zoonotic potential of Giardia and Cryptosporidium positive samples.ResultsTotals of 879 dog and 264 cat faecal samples were examined. In dogs, the overall prevalence was 25.2% (CI: 22.4–28.1) for Giardia spp.; 9.2% (CI: 7.3–11.1) for Ancylostoma/Uncinaria spp.; 7.6% (CI: 5.9–9.4) for Toxocara spp.; 5.9% (CI: 4.4–7.5) for Cryptosporidium spp.; 4.6% (CI: 3.2–5.9) for Cystoisospora spp.; 2.7% (CI: 1.7–3.8) for Toxascaris leonina; 1.7% (CI: 0.9–2.6) for Capillaria spp.; 0.8% (CI: 0.2–1.4) for taeniid eggs; 0.2% (CI: 0–0.5) for Dipylidium caninum; and 0.1% (CI: 0–0.3) for Strongyloides stercoralis. In cats, the prevalence was 20.5% (CI: 15.6–25.3) for Giardia spp.; 9.5% (CI: 5.9–13.0) for Cystoisospora spp.; 8.3% (CI: 5.0–11.7) for Toxocara spp.; 7.6% (CI: 4.4–10.8) for Ancylostoma/Uncinaria spp.; 6.8% (CI: 3.8–9.9) for Cryptosporidium spp.; 4.2% (CI: 1.8–6.6) for Capillaria spp.; 0.8% (CI: 0–1.8) for taeniid eggs; and 0.4% (CI: 0–1.1) for Hammondia/Toxoplasma. Concerning the risk factors evaluated, there was a negative association between age and Giardia infection and between age and T. leonina infection intensity for dogs. Sequencing results revealed the presence of mainly animal-specific G. duodenalis assemblages C and D in dogs and assemblages F, C and BIV-like in cats, with only a limited number of (co-)infections with assemblage A. As for Cryptosporidium, the dog-specific C. canis and the pig-specific C. scrofarum were detected in dogs and the cat-specific C. felis was detected in cats.ConclusionsHigh levels of parasitism in both dogs and cats were recorded. Giardia was the most prevalent parasite in all dog and cat populations except for shepherd dogs. Genotyping results suggest a limited zoonotic risk of Giardia and Cryptosporidium infections from dogs and cats in Crete. Taeniid eggs were more prevalent in shepherd dogs suggesting access to carcasses and posing a threat for cystic echinococcosis transmission. Infection rates of Toxocara spp. in both dogs and cats show that companion animals could be a significant source of infection to humans.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-017-1989-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Abundance, zoonotic potential and risk factors of intestinal parasitism amongst dog and cat populations: The scenario of Crete, Greece

Kostopoulou

Claerebout

Arvanitis³

et al. 2017

Parasites Vectors

106

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“…The most common roundworms in dogs and cats, respectively, are Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati. Most veterinary surgeons are aware of their zoonotic potential and there is some public knowledge of their effects in people, especially children [6,7]. As well as the recognised syndromes of ocular and visceral toxocarosis, meta-analyses have concluded people seropositive for Toxocara spp.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Survey of UK pet owners quantifying internal parasite infection risk and deworming recommendation implications

Pennelegion¹,

Drake

Wiseman³

et al. 2020

Parasites Vectors

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Background: Dogs and cats in the UK are exposed to many internal parasites which can pose risks to the health of both the pet and their owners. By understanding these endemic parasites and the risks they pose, we can assess the lifestyle of pets and recommend the correct deworming frequency. Studies identifying risk factors were discussed in the European Scientific Counsel Companion Animal Parasites (ESCCAP) guidelines. To this date, there has been very little information on how pet owners in the UK deworm their pets and if the protocols they follow align with ESCCAP recommendations. The objective of this study was to look at the current deworming protocols of UK cat and dog owners in conjunction with their lifestyle and risk. Methods: An online survey was conducted in the UK targeting pet owners who own at least one dog and/or cat and were responsible for product purchase, the pet's health care and veterinary visits. These survey results were analysed against the ESCCAP guidelines and each pet placed into a risk category. By comparing the current deworming frequency with that recommended for their risk category, the compliance of UK pet owners with ESCCAP recommendations was evaluated. Results: A total of 500 dog owners and 500 cat owners completed surveys. Overall, the study found none of the pets fell into risk group A, with all pets meeting the risk level for at least deworming four times a year (risk group B and above). The majority of animals fell into the highest risk category D with 97% of dogs and 68% of cats. The average deworming per year in the UK was 3.1 for dogs and 3.1 cats, below the minimum recommended by ESCCAP. Conclusions: For both felines and canines, the dosing frequencies are lower than recommended to both reduce zoonotic risk for reducing Toxocara spp. egg-shedding and improve pet health. This research highlights the need for improved education around dog and cat patient risk assessments and greater adherence to recommended deworming aligned with the ESCCAP guidelines.

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“…is a nematode that stands out because of its high prevalence in canids (NEVES et al, 2014), cats (NIJSSE, 2016) and human populations (MACPHERSON, 2013). The presence of Toxocara spp.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental contamination by parasitic forms in a socially vulnerable community in southern Rio Grande do Sul state: a serious public health problem

Capella

Pinto

Perera

et al. 2018

Braz. J. Vet. Res. Anim. Sci.

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vulnerability. The fact that these people share the environment with animals promotes the establishment of zoonotic parasitic infections, as well as the resultant parasitic cycles. Thus, parasites present in the environment must be identified, so that control measures can be recommended. In this context, this study’s objective was to evaluate environmental contamination by parasitic forms in a socially vulnerable community in southern Rio Grande do Sul. A total of 100 soil samples collected from the community were processed by a sodium dichromate centrifuge-flotation technique and analyzed by a compound microscope (40X objective) for the identification of parasite eggs, oocysts and cysts. All points were positive for two or more parasites, with the identification of 33.59% non-identified coccidian oocysts, Strongylida (25.4%), Ascaridida (21.31%), Trichuris spp. (8.19%), Toxocara spp. (3.27%), Amoebas (4.08%), Dioctophyma renale (2.45%), and Giardia spp. (1.63%). The presence of parasitic forms in all points analyzed surpasses other studies of environmental contamination carried out in the southern region of Brazil. In addition, the identification of several parasitic forms with zoonotic potential is concerning, since it shows the possibility of parasitic transmission to humans and other animals. In view of the results, the conclusion is that the environment analyzed is contaminated by parasitic forms, constituting a serious public health problem. Therefore, implementing educational and preventive measures in the community to control parasites is of crucial importance.

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Prevalence and risk factors for patent Toxocara infections in cats and cat owners’ attitude towards deworming

Cited by 44 publications

References 21 publications

Abundance, zoonotic potential and risk factors of intestinal parasitism amongst dog and cat populations: The scenario of Crete, Greece

Abundance, zoonotic potential and risk factors of intestinal parasitism amongst dog and cat populations: The scenario of Crete, Greece

Survey of UK pet owners quantifying internal parasite infection risk and deworming recommendation implications

Environmental contamination by parasitic forms in a socially vulnerable community in southern Rio Grande do Sul state: a serious public health problem

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