<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>To determine whether canine faecal contamination may represent a source of environmental contamination with Toxocara canis eggs within the urban area of Florence, a total number of 754 dog faeces were collected in 7 public places and examined by routine floatation technique during one-year period. The total prevalence of intestinal nematode eggs was 8.6 %. Trichuris vulpis (4.6 %) eggs were the most prevalent followed by T. canis (3.6 %) and Ancylostomidae (1.7 %) eggs. Mixed infections included T. canis/T. vulpis (0.7 %), Ancylostomidae/T. canis (0.4 %), and Ancylosto-midae/T. vulpis (0.3 %). Total prevalence of intestinal nematode eggs was significantly higher in spring than in winter (OR = 2.06). Our results indicate a low prevalence of T. canis eggs suggesting that dog faeces left on soil are unlikely to cause high environmental contamination with T. canis eggs in the town of Florence.</p></abstract>

To determine whether canine faecal contamination may represent a source of environmental contamination with Toxocara canis eggs within the urban area of Florence, a total number of 754 dog faeces were collected in 7 public places and examined by routine floatation technique during one-year period. The total prevalence of intestinal nematode eggs was 8.6 %. Trichuris vulpis (4.6 %) eggs were the most prevalent followed by T. canis (3.6 %) and Ancylostomidae (1.7 %) eggs. Mixed infections included T. canis/T. vulpis (0.7 %), Ancylostomidae/T. canis (0.4 %), and Ancylosto-midae/T. vulpis (0.3 %). Total prevalence of intestinal nematode eggs was significantly higher in spring than in winter (OR = 2.06). Our results indicate a low prevalence of T. canis eggs suggesting that dog faeces left on soil are unlikely to cause high environmental contamination with T. canis eggs in the town of Florence.

Prevalence of Toxocara canis eggs in dog faeces from public places of Florence, Italy

Department of Animal Pathology, Prophylaxis and Food Hygiene, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy

Public Health Department, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 48, 50134, Florence, Italy

Helminthologia

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

To determine whether canine faecal contamination may represent a source of environmental contamination with Toxocara canis eggs within the urban area of...

Prevalence of Toxocara canis eggs in dog faeces from public places of Florence, Italy

Published Online: Aug 03, 2012

Page range: 154 - 158

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11687-012-0031-0

Keywords
dog faeces, Toxocara canis, environmental contamination

© 2012 Institute of Parasitology, SAS, Košice, Slovakia

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Prevalence of Toxocara canis eggs in dog faeces from public places of Florence, Italy

Published Online: Aug 03, 2012

Page range: 154 - 158

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11687-012-0031-0

Keywordsdog faeces, Toxocara canis, environmental contamination

© 2012 Institute of Parasitology, SAS, Košice, Slovakia

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
dog faeces, Toxocara canis, environmental contamination