Presenter of 1 Presentation
ENVIRONMENTAL PREVALENCE, DISTRIBUTION AND RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH CANINE SOIL-TRANSMITTED HELMINTHS IN URBAN PARKS ACROSS AUSTRALIA (ID 588)
Abstract
Introduction
Dog parks provide an ideal urban space where dogs and their owners can exercise, play, and socialize in a safe environment. However, these parks can also increase the risk of exposure to a series of infectious agents including canine soil-transmitted helminths (cSTHs) such as hookworms, roundworms, Strongyloides spp., and Trichuris vulpis, which are endemic to Australia.
Methods
In this study, we collected 1581 canine faecal samples in 190 urban parks across Australia and subjected these to faecal floatation and qPCRs to detect a range of cSTHs.
Results
In total, 42.6% of the parks sampled were contaminated with at least one species of cSTHs, with hookworms being the most prevalent parasites (10.3%) followed by Trichuris spp. (1.3%) and Strongyloides spp. (1.2%).
Conclusions
This is the first large-scale study investigating the contamination of urban parks with cSTHs in Australia, and the first nation-wide study to demonstrate the occurrence of Strongyloides spp. in canine faecal samples from urban areas of Australia. This study reveals a high rate of contamination with cSTHs in dog parks in urban Australia, most of which having proven zoonotic potential. Preventive measures, including awareness-raising educational programs promoting responsible pet ownership, should be encouraged to minimise the health risks associated with cSTHs to both dogs and humans.