title: Factors related to Campylobacter spp. carriage in client-owned dogs visiting veterinary clinics in a region of Ontario, Canada.
abstract: From July 2008 until May 2009, 240 client-owned pet dogs from seven veterinary clinics in the Region of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada participated in a study to determine pet-related management factors that may be associated with the presence of Campylobacter spp. in dogs. The prevalence of Campylobacter spp. carriage in our study population of pet dogs was 22%, with 19% of the dogs positive for C. upsaliensis, and 3% positive for C. jejuni. A significant risk factor from multivariable logistic regression models for both Campylobacter spp. and C. upsaliensis carriage was having homemade cooked food as the dog's diet or added to its diet, and a significant sparing factor for both models was treatment with antibiotics in the previous month. Increasing age of the dog decreased the odds of Campylobacter spp. and C. upsaliensis carriage. Based on the high prevalence of Campylobacter, and specifically C. upsaliensis, further research concerning pet dogs as a risk factor for campylobacteriosis in humans is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada. eleonard@uoguelph.ca
authors.forename: E K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Leonard
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Pearl
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Janecko
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Weese
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Reid-Smith
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Peregrine
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Finley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016123:Campylobacter jejuni / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D044885:Campylobacter upsaliensis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004032:Diet / Q000379:methods; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006762:Hospitals, Animal; D008297:Male; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents