Intestinal Parasitic Infections of Stray Dogs on the Caribbean Island of St. Maarten/St. Martin
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: The island of St. Maarten/St. Martin has a big stray dog population, with many roaming and non-sterilised owned dogs. Faecal samples from 111 dogs, including 70 puppies and 41 adult dogs, underwent coprological examination including flotation. Collection occurred from July through September of 2022. The infection rate of 92.8 % was higher than that reported in the previous Caribbean studies. The species found were Cystoisospora spp., Giardia intestinalis , species from the family Ancylostomatidae, Toxocara canis , Trichuris vulpis , and Dipylidium caninum . Ancylostomatidae family had the highest prevalence at 75.7 %. The high T. canis (42.3 %) and D. caninum (13.5 %) rates were attributed to the young age of the sample population in this study. Conversely, the low T. vulpis (10 %) rate was attributed to its long prepatency period, as eggs only shed from older puppies and dogs. Cystoisospora spp. were the most prevalent protozoan parasite at 10.8 %. The total coinfection rate was 45.9 %, with the most being 5 different species. It was determined that the parasite burden on the island is high and is likely to benefit from animal welfare interventions.
Source: Folia veterinaria
DOI: 10.2478/fv-2024-0036
Authors: Joanna B. O’Sullivan, Ruth Wright, Miloš Halán
Institution: University of Veterinary Medicine in Košice
Language: English
Subfield: Small Animals
Field: Veterinary
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4405514270