title: The occurrence of zoonotic parasites in rural dog populations from northern Portugal.
abstract: A survey of intestinal parasites in dogs was carried out in a rural region around Cantanhede, in northern Portugal, where 301 dog faecal samples were collected from small-ruminant farms. Saturated salt flotation and formol-ether sedimentation techniques were used. An enquiry was conducted in 234 farms and a risk factor evaluation for zoonotic helminths was determined among the 195 farmers who owned dogs. The overall parasite prevalence in faecal samples of dogs was 58.8%, with specific prevalences for Ancylostomidae being 40.9% followed by species of Trichuris (29.9%), Toxocara (8%), Isospora (4%), Capillaria (0.7%) and Spirometra (0.3%). Taeniidae eggs were present in five samples (1.7%) which were analysed with the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique and revealed to be from Taenia sp., and not Echinococcus granulosus. This rural region has a traditional small-farm system, in which farm products are mainly for in-house consumption and home slaughtering is a current practice (57%). Analysis showed home slaughtering to be a statistically significant risk factor for the presence of Ancylostomidae (P= 0.007) and Toxocara sp. (P= 0.049). Owning cattle was found to be a significant risk factor for Taenia sp. (P= 0.031).
authors: Instituto Politécnico de Coimbra, Escola Superior Agrária, Bencanta, 3040-316 Coimbra, Portugal.
authors: A S
authors: AS
authors: Cardoso
authors: Instituto Politécnico de Coimbra, Escola Superior Agrária, Bencanta, 3040-316 Coimbra, Portugal.
authors: I M H
authors: IM
authors: Costa
authors: Departamento de Educação da Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Figueiredo
authors: ICETA/CECA, Universidade do Porto, Centro de Saúde Pública Dr. Gonçalves Ferreira, INSA, Porto, Portugal.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Castro
authors: Instituto Politécnico de Coimbra, Escola Superior Agrária, Bencanta, 3040-316 Coimbra, Portugal.
authors: M A P
authors: MA
authors: Conceição
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D004285:Dogs; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D006376:Helminths / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D010273:Parasitic Diseases, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D010274:Parasitology / Q000379:methods; D011174:Portugal / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population