title: Canine echinococcosis in northern Jordan: increased prevalence and dominance of sheep/dog strain.
abstract: A total of 112 stray and semi-stray dogs (Canis familiaris) from four different geographical areas in northern and middle Jordan were necropsied to evaluate the prevalence and intensity of intestinal helminthiasis. Of these, 33 dogs (29.5%) were infected with Echinococcus granulosus and 61 (54.5%) with other Taenia species. Other cestodes found included Dipylidium caninum in 36 dogs (32.1%), Diplopylidium in 6 dogs (5.4%), Mesocestoides sp. in 3 dogs (2.7%) and Joyuexiella in 1 dog (0.9%). Toxocara nematodes were found in 10 dogs (9.2%) and only 1 dog was positive for acanthocephalans. Among the dogs infected with E. granulosus, 8 dogs (24.2%) had a worm load higher than 1,000 worms. The ratio of infected male to female dogs was 1.9:1.0. Strain analysis of E. granulosus using random primers revealed the dominance of the G1 strain (sheep/dog strain) in the region. Only one dog harbored another E. granulosus strain, which resembled the G4 strain pattern.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan. akhaled@yu.edu.jo
authors.forename: Khaled M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Al-Qaoud
authors.forename: Sami K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Abdel-Hafez
authors.forename: Philip S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Craig
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002589:Cestoda / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002590:Cestode Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000032:analysis; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D004285:Dogs; D004443:Echinococcosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004446:Echinococcus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D007597:Jordan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D015995:Prevalence; D019105:Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique; D012756:Sheep / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D018509:DNA, Helminth