Prevalence of intestinal helminthes in owned dogs in Kerman city, Iran

OBJECTIVE: To survey the prevalence of canine gastrointestinal helminthes in dogs presented to the Veterinary faculty of the University of Kerman between May and November 2011. METHODS: A total of 70 fecal samples were evaluated by the fecal sedimentation method. RESULTS: The prevalence of gastrointestinal helminthes was 7.14%. The parasites most frequently detected were Toxocara canis (T. canis) (4.3%); Toxascaris leonina (T. leonina) (1.4%) and Teania spp. (1.4%). The age distribution of intestinal parasites in dogs showed that the dog less than 1 year old had a higher overall prevalence than those dogs over 12 months of age but there was not significant (P>0.05). Also there was no significant difference in the prevalence between male (7.7%) and female (6.5%) dogs (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It is thought that the reduction in the frequency of the dogs with those helminthes may be mainly a result of the improvement in breeding environment and the routine use of antihelmintics. The significance of zoonotic diseases caused by intestinal helminthes makes it necessary for us to know the infection status of domestic dogs and to take measures for further control. It is concluded that veterinarians have an important role in educating dog owners of these potential risks and means for preventing or minimizing zoonotic transmission.