ALIMENTARY TRACT PARASITE OCCURRENCE IN DOGS IN THE AREA OF NORTH-WESTERN POLAND

Aleksandra Balicka-Ramisz, Alojzy Ramisz, Bogumiła Pilarczyk, Agnieszka Cisek, Barbara Rolicz

ABSTRACT

The goal of the research was to determine parasite fauna of alimentary tract in dogs from animal asylums, from the city and the neighboring rural areas of Northwestern Poland. Gorzów Wielkopolski, Szczecin, Stargard Szczeciński, Słupsk and Gdynia-Redłowo. The research was conducted between March 1999 and April 2002 in the area of Gorzów Wielkopolski, Szczecin, Stargard Szczeciński, Słupsk and Gdynia-Redłowo. A total of 216 stool samples from the area of Gorzów Wielkopolski were tested, 115 from Słupsk, 269 from Szczecin, 44 from Gdynia-Redłowo and 187 from Stargard Szczeciński. The dogs from the animal asylum and animal clinics were divided into two age groups (of up to 12 months of age and over). Stool samples were tested with a flotation method (Willis-Schlaf). The structure of parasite fauna species was determined according to data to be found in helminthofauna diagnosis handbook (13). The extensity of parasite invasion in dogs depends on their place of living and age. Country dogs are m

Key words: dogs, alimentary tract parasites.

INTRODUCTION

The growing number of dogs in homesteads may constitute a threat to human health, since dogs that are not systematically disinfestated are a source of zoonoses. Children who are in contact with dogs’ feces in sandpits and have a direct contact with these animals, are the main risk group of invasion. The lack of hand-washing habit is the primary factor contributing to infection. The percentage of animals with parasite infestation is high in urban agglomerations as well as in the country. As results from research conducted by Luty [7] in the area of Poznań and the commune of Murawa Goślina in the years of 1995-1998, the extensity of invasion amounted to 46.4%, while in the research conducted by Borecka in 2000 [1] in the animal asylum in Celestynów and Józefów – the invasion extensity was 71.7 % and 79.6 %, while in dogs in the area of Warsaw – 1.2%. The extensity of intestinal parasites in the dogs from the animal asylum of Józefów was 62.3% according to the research of Turkowicz et al. [17] . In spite of the observed decreasing tendency of intestinal parasite infestation in dogs [10] in the recent decades, it still constitutes a serious epidemiological problem.

The goal of this research was to determine the parasite fauna of the alimentary tract of dogs from animal asylums, from the city and the neighboring rural areas surrounding Gorzów Wielkopolski, Szczecin, Stargard Szczeciński, Słupsk and Gdynia-Redłowo.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The general number of 831 dogs were subject to examination in the area of Gorzów Wielkopolski, Szczecin, Stargard Szczeciński, Słupsk and Gdynia-Redłowo between March 1999 and April 2000. A total of 216 stool samples, including 60 originating from the animal asylum (21 samples from dogs of up to 12 months of age and 39 samples from dogs of over 12 months of age), were tested in Gorzów Wielkopolski as well as 116 samples from the city and 40 samples from the country. A total of 115 samples from the area of Słupsk were tested, including 75 stool samples from the city dogs and 40 from the country dogs. A total of 269 stool samples were tested in the area of Szczecin, including 181 samples from animal asylum dogs (48 samples from the dogs of up to 12 months of age and 133 samples from the dogs of over 12 months of age) as well as 52 samples from the city area dogs and 36 samples from dogs coming from rural areas. In the animal asylum of Gdynia-Redłowo, 14 stool samples were tested from the dog s of up to 12 moths of age and 30 samples from the dogs of over 12 months of age. The animal clinic in Stargard Szczeciński tested a total of 187 stool samples, including 48 from the dogs of up to 12 months of age and 139 from the dogs of over 12 months of age. A total of 841 stool samples were tested.

The stool samples of animals staying in animal asylums were taken from various kennels, to make sure that they originated from different dogs. Each stool sample was first broken up with a preparatory needle and viewed (it was tested for the presence of tapeworm segments and mature threadworm forms), then it was tested with a flotation method (Willis-Schlaf) for the presence of parasite eggs. The parasite fauna species structure was determined according to data to be found in the helminthofauna diagnosis handbook [16].

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The majority of the samples including parasites came from Gorzów Wielkopolski and its neighborhood (43.06%) and the fewest from Stargard Szczeciński (16.04%) as well as Słupsk and its neighborhood (28%). While comparing the percentage of intestinal parasite dog infestation with data coming from other regions of Poland one may state that the dog infection extensity was not high and oscillated within 16.04-43.06%. In the research conducted in Wrocław in the years of 1991-1992 [10], the invasion extensity amounted to 51.9%, and in the area of Warsaw in the year 2000 – 50.83% [1], in Olsztyn in 1996 – 21.6-27% [3, 15], and in Poznań in the years of 1981-1982 it was 25.9 [5], while in the years of 1997-1998 – 32% [8].

The following tapeworm segments were found in the dogs stool: Dipylidium caninum, Taenia sp. and Mesocestoides lineatus as well as eggs of five species of stomach-intestinal threadworms: Urcinaria stenocephala, Toxocara canis, Toxascaris leonina, Ancylostoma caninum, Trichocephalus vulpis (table 1, 2). No tapeworms were found in the stool of dogs coming from Słupsk, Stargard Szczeciński, Szczecin and their vicinity (table 1 and 2), while in the dogs from the area of Gorzów Wielkopolski and its neighborhood the following tapeworms were found: Taenia sp, Mesocestoides lineatus and Dipilidium caninum (table 2).

Significant differences concerning the extensity of invasion were found with regard to the age groups of dogs. The dogs of up to 12 months were found to be more infested than the adult ones. Among the adult dogs (over 1 year of age), 17.01% were infested with parasites (table 3), while among the dogs of up to 1 year of age – as many as 59.54%. Stankiewicz et al. [14] obtained similar results in his research conducted in the area of Warsaw, where he found infestation of 39 – 43% in dogs of 2-12 months of age. In Warsaw and its neighborhood, other authors [2] found 100% extensity of invasion among young dogs from the animal asylum, while in dogs belonging to private owners – 22%. In adult dogs coming from the animal asylum, the extensity of invasion was 73%, and in dogs of private owners – 3.5%.

While comparing the extensity of invasion depending on the place of origin of the dogs, it was found in authors’ own research that it was the highest in the country dogs (44.44%) and the lowest in the dogs coming from the city areas (24.88%) (table 3). The most infested dogs came from the area of Gorzów Wielkopolski (table 3), and the least infested from the area of Słupsk.

Toxocara canis and Uncinaria stenocephala were found in the stool of dogs of up to 12 months of age, while Uncinaria stenocephala in dogs of over 12 months (table 1).

Toxocara canis, which is a common dog parasite, deserves attention. Toxocariasis is a dangerous zoonotic parasitic disease. The human is an incidental host in the developmental cycle of the parasite. In the authors’ own research the invasion extensity of this parasite amounted to 30.95% in the country dogs, 22.22% in the city dogs, and 17.01% in the dogs coming from animal asylums. In research conducted in Wrocław [11], dogs from the animal asylum were infected with this parasite in 15%, from the area of the city – in 10%, and from the country – in 5%. According to the research conducted by Luty and Mizgajska [8], toxocariasis is the most frequent invasion of intestinal parasites in all dogs coming from the area of Poznań and its vicinity (31.5%).

Trichuris vulpis was the most frequently found parasite in all environments of Wrocław. Toxocara canis occurred most frequently in the examined animals out of all three environments of the area of Szczecin and Gorzów Wielkopolski, and its eggs were found in 25.98% of dogs, while in the area of Słupsk it was Toxascaris leonina. The highest infestation with Toxocara canis was found in the country dogs (table 2). The extensity of occurrence of Uncinaria stenocephala in the animal asylum and in the country dogs was also high (table 1). This parasite was a dominant species in the fauna of parasitic threadworms in animal asylums (table 1). Górski et al. [4] are of the opinion that Uncinaria stenocephala is one of the three most important threadworm species parasitizing in the dogs of the area of Warsaw. Similarly, the extensity of this species may reach 75% [11] in the region of Kielce and in the area of Wrocław .

Particular attention should be paid to the extensity of invasion with Ancylostoma caninum in the area of Szczecin and its vicinity (table 1). The extensity of infestation with this parasite should be regarded as high. Isospora sp., on the other hand, occurs only sporadically in the area included in the research and does not constitute a significant threat to the dogs.

A high extensity of infestation with Dipylidium caninum (table 2) was found in the area of Gorzów Wielkopolski. This tapeworm was also the most frequently noted parasite (80%) in the dogs from villages situated around Olsztyn [11).

Significant changes in the extensity of occurrence of Dipylidium caninum in dogs have taken place since the beginning of the 30s. The invasion extensity of this parasite amounted to 45% [9, 12] in Warsaw, 64% [13] in Wrocław, 51.4% [6] in the area of Łódź. Okulewicz et al. [7], for the purposes of comparing the degree of extensity of parasite infestation, examined city dogs, country dogs and the dogs kept in animal asylums in the area of Wrocław. The occurrence of Dipylidium caninum was found in 80.05% of the country dogs, 25% of the city dogs and 2.5% of the animal asylum dogs. In the authors’ own research, Dipylidium caninum was found only in the dogs from the area of Gorzów Wielkopolski. A similar decrease of the invasion extensity was observed in case of the occurrence of tapeworms of Echinococcus type [6, 9, 12, 13].

The extensity of parasite invasion in dogs depends on their place of living and age. Country dogs are more infested with alimentary tract parasites in comparison to city dogs. The percentage of infestation in also higher in the dogs of up to 12 months of age than in the adult ones. Dogs still constitute a real threat as a source of parasitic invasions for humans. As arises from the conducted research, systematic disinfestation of dogs should be promoted.

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