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22
Slawomir Kornas, Marta Skalska, Boguslaw Nowosad ©
Department of Zoology and Ecology, University of Agriculture, Krakow al.
Mickiewicza 24/28, Krakow, Poland, [email protected]
THE OCCURRENCE OF INTESTINAL NEMATODES IN DOGS AND CATS FROM KRAKOW AREA, POLAND
Abstract. Background. The aim of the study was to evaluate the level of intestinal nematodes infection in dogs and cats from different environments from the area of the city Krakow, Poland. Material and methods. Between 2004-2006 the faecal samples from 492 dogs and 373 cats from a shelter and 304 dogs from private owners were examined using Concentration McMaster technique and decantation method. Based on the obtained results, the prevalence of infection (%) and mean number of the parasite eggs in 1g of faeces (EPG) were evaluated. Results. The nematodes infection in dogs and cats was low, except Toxocara cati in cats from the shelter (22.2%, 2459 EPG). 0.3% of the cats were also infected with hookworm (Ancylostoma tubaeforme) and 0.5% with whipworm (Trichuris vulpis). Dogs from private owners were more infected (4.9%) with Toxocara canis than dogs from the shelter (2.6%). Hookworms Ancylostoma caninum (1.2%) and Uncinaria stenocephala (0.6%) were found in dogs from the shelter, whereas in dogs from private owners - only Ancylostoma caninum (0.3%). Whipworms were found in 1.4% of the dogs from the shelter and 0.3% in the dogs from private owners. Male dogs from the shelter were more infected with all nematodes, than bitches except for whipworms. In case of dogs from private owners, puppies were more infected with roundworms (16.7%) than adults dogs (5.8%). Among the adults dogs, males were more infected (6.1%) with roundworms than females (5.4%).
Key words: nematodes, dogs, cats
Introduction: Health condition of dogs and cats is impacted by many factors. Among them, parasitic diseases play an important role, as dogs and cats are hosts for many parasite species, mainly for intestinal nematodes, especially roundworms from genus Toxocara, hookworms from family Ancylostomatidae and whipworms -Trichuris vulpis. These parasites, due to their life cycle, morphological adaptation and nutrition habits, may exacerbate the condition of an animal, and even lead to death in case of puppies and kittens (1, 3, 4, 7, 16, 18). Monitoring the state of infection in dogs and cats from various backgrounds is of great importance, as nematodes Toxocara infect humans as well (1, 6). Parasites are a permanent element of the natural environment and the concentration and rotation of dogs and cats (especially in animal shelters) foster their infection process.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the level of intestinal nematodes infection in dogs and cats from different condition and management systems.
Material and methods: The research was conducted between the years 2004 and 2006 in Krakow, Poland. It covered dogs and cats from various environments, in
© Slawomir Kornas, Marta Skalska, Boguslaw Nowosad, 2008
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various age and both sexes (Table 1). The research material consisted of faecal samples gathered directly from the shelters or provided by the dogs' owners to the Department of Zoology and Ecology of the University of Agriculture in Krakow.
Table 1. Scheme of investigation
Age / Sex
Animal groups uanti I Adults M Y De
ty oung worming
emales ales
Dogs from the 2 2 - Re
shelter 92 50 42 gular
Private owners' 9 9 1 Re
dogs 02 2 8 2 gular
Cats from the - - - Re
shelter* 73 gular
Legend: * female cats were kept with all the kittens which didn't allow for the identification of the animals
In the shelter, the boxes were cleaned everyday in the morning. The first deworming is performed in the time of quarantine and under the supervision of the veterinary. Next dewormings are conducted before handing an animal to the new owner or in the cases of the appearance of the symptoms of a digestive system disease or the appearance of parasites in the faecal samples. Following the information gathered from the dogs' owners, adult dogs were dewormed twice a year and puppies according to the anti-parasite treatment scheme for the particular age group.
Faecal samples were examined using Concentration McMaster technique and decantation method (19). Based on the obtained results, the prevalence of infection (E) and the number of eggs per 1 g. of feces (EPG) were calculated. The eggs of hookworms were differentiated according to Sloss (22) and Thienpont at. al. (23).
Results of researches: The infection of intestinal nematodes was low in dogs and cats, except for roundworm Toxocara cati in cats (Table 2). This particular nematode was detected in 22.2% of cats from the shelter, the faecal samples of which consisted 2459 EPG. Hookworms (Ancylostoma tubaeforme) and whipworms (Trichuris vulpis) were detected in 0.3% and 0.5% of the cats, respectively.
Owners' dogs presented a greater level of infection (4.9%) of roundworms (Toxocara canis) than the ones from the shelter (2.6%). On the other hand, hookworms (Ancylostoma caninum, Uncinaria stenocephala) and whipworms were found in 1.2%, 0.6% and 1.4% of the shelter dogs, respectively, while private owners' dogs were infected only by Ancylostoma caninum and whipworms (0.3% each) (Table 2).
Table 2. Intestinal nematodes infection in dogs and cats from different environments Shelter Dogs Cats
I I E
PG (%) PG Toxocara - - 2
cati 2.2 459
Parasite
Private owners' dogs I E
PG
434
Toxocara canis .6
Ancylostoma tubaeforme
Ancylostoma caninum .2
Uncinaria stenocephala .6
Trichuris vulpis .4
1
32
08 3 60
.3
.5
0
75
.9
.3
.3
33
5
2
5 0 1
Moreover, except for whipworms, male dogs presented a greater level of infection than bitches in the shelter (Table 3). Table 3. Intestinal nematodes infection in dogs from the shelter with respect to
the sex of the animal
Bitches
Parasite
E
G
EP
E
Male dogs G
EP
Toxocara canis 1.2 38 4.1 420
Ancylostoma 0 0 2.5 108
caninum
Uncinaria 0.4 50 0.8 100
stenocephala
Trichuris 2.4 392 0.4 100
vulpis
Concerning private owners' dogs, puppies were infected only by roundworms Toxocara canis, while adults also by hookworms Ancylostoma caninum. The prevalence of roundworms infection was greater with puppies (16.7%) than with adult dogs (5.8%) of which bitches were less often infected (5.4%) than males (6.1%)
(Table 4).
Table 4. Intestinal nematodes infection in dogs from private owners with respect
to the sex and age of the animal
Pupp Adult d°gs
Parasite pp Total Bitc Ma
hes le dogs
ies
Toxocara
canis
6.7
PG
50
Ancylostom a caninum
PG (%) PG
.8 68 .4 10
.5 0 .1 0
.1
PG 17
The most frequently detected nematode in all dogs and cats was Toxocara cati (present in over 20% of the cats from the shelter). Such a great infection may be explained by the faecal samples gathering process and the fact that adult female cats and kittens were kept together. The infection of these nematodes depends on the age of the host and their occurrence is typical for kittens. The transmission of Toxocara cati from mother to puppies is fostered by various possibilities of infection, including: swallowing infection eggs from the environment or lactogenic, i.e., consuming rodents - paratenic host.
L
0
0
0
0
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In the polish literature, there is little information concerning the infection of cats with the intestine nematodes. Other authors detected greater level of infection with Toxocara cati in private owners' cats (39.1%) (13) and the ones from the shelter (17.9 - 60.6%) (17) as well as hookworms (5.7% and 28.6 - 39.4%, respectively) than the one presented in this study.
In dogs, generally, the most frequently detected parasite was roundworm Toxocara canis. Comparing the presented results of infection with this nematode to the own studies conducted since 1998, the gradual decrease in the prevalence of infection can be noted (7, 8,11).
The roundworm Toxocara canis infection depends on numerous factors that may either foster or restrict its prevalence. The outcomes of various national researches provide us with different information on the level of infection with Toxocara canis in Poland. In the nineties, the prevalence of infection in the shelter dogs (reaching up to 15%) was detected by Okulewicz et al. (15). However, recent research by Turkowicz and Cielecka (21) did not reveal his nematode in shelter dogs from the area of Warsaw, while Borecka (2) detected them in 0.1% of the examined dogs. On the other hand, Romaniuk at al. (17) shows (based on research conducted between 2001 and 2003) a high level of Toxocara canis infection in the shelter dogs from the north of the country (4.3% - 66.2%).
Knowledge on the threats associated with animal diseases, including Toxocariasis, the right care and good breeding conditions in many animal shelters around the country may restrict roundworm infections. On the other hand, the high prevalence of these nematode infection in private owners' dogs, as presented in this study as well as by other authors (2, 13, 15, 20) is alarming.
The prevalence of infection with Toxocara canis in dogs and Toxocara cati in cats, depends on the age of an animal. The infection of these nematodes occur mainly in young animals, to whom it may be dangerous. Based by this research and the results obtained by other authors (12, 13), in adult dogs luminal roundworms occurs more frequently in male dogs than in bitches, in which Toxocara canis larvas exist arrested in various organs and activate during pregnancy, infecting puppies through the placenta.
Toxascaris leonina was not detected in any of the examined animals, despite its frequent occurrence in the research of other authors (2, 15, 21), where often it was the dominant nematode.
Ancylostomatidae hookworms (Ancylostoma caninum and Uncinaria stenocephala) as well as whipworms (Trichuris vulpis) are rarely detected in this study, i.e., 0.3-1.2% and 0.3-1.4% in dogs from different environment, respectively. In the previous own research and conducted by other authors (5, 9, 10, 16, 20), the greater level of infection with hookworms and whipworms was found in both private owners' and shelter dogs. Hookworms, due to their blood sucking nutrition type may cause anaemia and severe damage to intestine. Moreover, various way of infection (through food, skin, placenta or milk) foster their existence in dogs (3, 4, 9). On the other hand, whipworms, especially during mass infection, cause intense, chronic diarrheas, often with a great amount of mucus and blood, as well as anaemia (10).
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Conclusion: Among the detected parasites in the examined animals, roundworms from genus Toxocara are the most dangerous for dogs and cats as well as for humans. While, in big cities, stray dogs (the main source of toxocariasis infection) do not pose a problem, loitering cats are still the element of housing estates. Given great fertility of roundworms, their eggs resistance to unfavourable weather conditions, accumulation in the soil as well as the role of earthworms in their spreading, this situation may cause the development of toxocariasis in humans (14). Physical contact, of especially children, with puppies and kittens should be preceded with faecal samples analysis and deworming in case of a positive result. This procedure should also be performed on animals while being taken away from the shelters.
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