Prevalence of Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato in Owned Dogs in Lagos State, Nigeria

Emmanuel Jolaoluwa Awosanya*, Zaynab Ligali, Kwabena Obeng Duedu, Angela Peruzzu, Giovanna Masala, Piero Bonelli*

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    3 Citations (SciVal)

    Abstract

    Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato (s.l.) infection in dogs poses risk of transmission to their owners and family members. We determined the prevalence and factors associated with E. granulosus s.l. infection among owned dogs presented at veterinary clinics or hospitals in Lagos State, Nigeria. Fecal samples from 217 dogs were screened for the presence of taeniid eggs using a sedimentation test in a cross sectional study. The taeniid eggs were identified at molecular level using a multiplex PCR. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain data on intrinsic and extrinsic factors from 133 dog owners. Out of the 217 dog fecal samples, 13 (6.0%) had taeniid eggs, of which 12 (92.3%) were identified as Echinococcus granulosus s.l. We found that Echinococcus granulosus infection is present among owned dogs in Lagos State with an overall prevalence of 5.5%. Location of the veterinary clinics or hospital and purpose for keeping dogs were significant factors associated with E. granulosus infection among owned dogs. Dogs living in suburban areas and kept for security purposes or guarding have higher probability of infection. Appropriate and regular treatment of dogs with praziquantel is highly recommended to reduce risk of E. granulosus transmission to humans.
    Original languageEnglish
    Article number101
    JournalVeterinary Sciences
    Volume8
    Issue number6
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished (VoR) - Jun 2021

    Keywords

    • Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato Nigeria dogs

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