A Survey on Gastro-Intestinal Parasites of Non-Descript Dogs in and Around Arusha Municipality, Tanzania

E.S. Swai ； E.J. Kaaya ； D.A. Mshanga ； E.W. Mbise

《International Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances》 2卷3期 (2010/07) Pp. 63-67

並列摘要

Dogs are the most common pet animals worldwide and perform a range of cultural, social, and economic functions in society. The objective of this study is to investigate, through cross-sectional survey, the distribution, types and prevalence of gastro-intestinal parasites affecting dogs in and around Arusha municipality, Tanzania. Faecal samples collected from 241 non-descript, apparent healthy dogs were processed by sedimentation and floatations technique and then examined for protozoan oocyst and helminth eggs. Coprological examination revealed that 59.3% of the dogs excreted helminth eggs in their faeces. Dogs harbouring one-parasite eggs were more common (73.8%) than those harbouring two (12.4%) or three (0.4%). The data on the distribution of the various worm species in the positive dogs indicate that Ancylostoma caninum eggs were by far the most common (57.2%). The other detected worm egg species and their respective frequencies were: Toxocara canis (13.7%), Mesostesphanus spp. (1.66%) and Taenia spp. (0.4%). Protozoan eggs (E. canis) were detected in two samples. The prevalence of helminth eggs was higher in young dogs (puppies) compared to adults (p＜0.05). The prevalence of different species of helminths also varied in different age groups, with Toxocara canis being higher in puppies than in adults (p=0.005). Sex-wise prevalence of helminths was not significant (p＞0.05). The high prevalence of gastro-intestinal helminth parasites of zoonotic potential registered in the dog population from a highly urban area in Arusha indicates a potential risk to human health. Increased awareness of their potential threat to human health coupled with additional research into the zoonotic capacity of Toxocara spp. and Ancylostoma spp. is desirable.

並列關鍵字

Arusha ； dog ； endo-parasites ； prevalence ； Tanzania ； zoonoses