title: Prevalence of Spirometra mansoni in dogs, cats, and frogs and its medical relevance in Guangzhou, China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sparganosis is an important parasitic disease in Guangzhou and is mainly acquired through the consumption of frog meat or contact with fresh frogs infected by larval stages (spargana) of the tapeworm species Spirometra mansoni.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, the prevalence of intestinal S. mansoni infections (with adult parasites) in dogs and cats and of extraintestinal S. mansoni infections (with spargana) in frogs was assessed. In addition, a questionnaire survey was carried out among residents in Guangzhou City in order to evaluate their awareness about the medical and epidemiological relevance of Spirometra and sparganosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, the feces of 229 dogs and 116 cats were examined for eggs, and 1949 frogs were examined for spargana. Sixty-three dogs (27.5%) and 47 cats (40.5%) had eggs in their feces. Two hundred and sixteen out of 416 wild Rana tigrina rugulosa Wiegmann frogs examined were sparganum-positive, with an infection rate of 51.9%, while the infection rate in Rana limnocharis Boie was 35.1% (13/37). None of the tested farmed frogs (including R. tigrina rugulosa and Rana catesbeiana) was positive (0/1382). Analysis of the questionnaire revealed the following results: (1) about 41.0% of residents in Guangzhou had some knowledge of sparganosis or sparganum infection, and information in TV programs was the most important way that residents learned about sparganosis. (2) About 59.9% of the residents ate frog meat. Eating the meat, viscera, or blood of animals, e.g., frogs, snakes, pigs, chicken, mice, and birds, in an improper way might be the main means by which residents acquire the infection. (3) The risk of sparganum infection was higher in males than in females.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A high sparganum infection rate was observed in the wild frogs sold in agricultural product markets in Guangzhou. The infection was also serious in cats and dogs in Guangdong Province. With lifestyles and eating habits resulting in sparganum infection, it is necessary to focus on market management and community education in order to prevent the transmission of this disease in Guangzhou.
authors: Department of Pathogenic Biology, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510182, China.
authors: Qing
authors: Q
authors: Hong
authors: Department of Pathogenic Biology, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510182, China.
authors: Jieping
authors: J
authors: Feng
authors: Department of Pathogenic Biology, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510182, China.
authors: Haijuan
authors: H
authors: Liu
authors: Department of Pathogenic Biology, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510182, China.
authors: Xiaomin
authors: X
authors: Li
authors: Department of Pathogenic Biology, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510182, China.
authors: Lirong
authors: L
authors: Gong
authors: Department of Pathogenic Biology, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510182, China.
authors: Zhen
authors: Z
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Pathogenic Biology, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510182, China.
authors: Weiming
authors: W
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Pathogenic Biology, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510182, China.
authors: Xiongfa
authors: X
authors: Liang
authors: Department of Pathogenic Biology, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510182, China.
authors: Rujiang
authors: R
authors: Zheng
authors: Department of Pathogenic Biology, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510182, China.
authors: Zhicai
authors: Z
authors: Cui
authors: Department of Pathogenic Biology, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510182, China.
authors: Weiliang
authors: W
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Pathogenic Biology, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510182, China. Electronic address: daixiongchen@hotmail.com.
authors: Daixiong
authors: D
authors: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D002590:Cestode Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004285:Dogs; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D007814:Larva; D008460:Meat / Q000469:parasitology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011898:Ranidae; D013031:Sparganosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D013032:Sparganum / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013146:Spirometra / Q000302:isolation & purification*
keywords: Guangzhou; Infection; Questionnaire survey; Spirometra mansoni