[Echinococcus granulosus infection in urban areas].
In a previous survey, carried out in 100 dogs in Rome by Tassi and Widenhorn (1977), two animals, which always lived in the urban area, were found infected by Echinococcus granulosus. An urban infection was therefore hypothized. During a following experiment 6 three-month old Beagle dogs were fed for nine months with raw meat sold in the butcheries of Rome as "food for pets". Two dogs of the same breed and origin were fed for the same period with canned food and were kept as control animals. At the end of the experiment three of the six dogs were found infected by E. granulosus, while the renmant three and the two controls resulted negative. An additional similar trial was carried out in Bologna. Three dogs were fed for seven months with the same kind of raw meat sold in three butcheries of Bologna, and a fourth dog was kept as control. At the end of the seven months also one of the three dogs was found infected by E. granulosus. These results seem to confirm the hypothesis of an urban infection by E. granulosus in dogs. Various possibilities of contamination of raw meat sold in butcheries as food for animals are discussed.
D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004285:Dogs; D004443:Echinococcosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D006262:Health; D007558:Italy; D008460:Meat; D012384:Rome; D014504:Urban Health
Infezione urbana da Echinococcus granulosus.