Intestinal parasitic pathogens of dogs from homeless animal shelters (Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan)

Abstract

Faecal samples of 114 stray dogs older than one year of age and kept at the central animal shelter in Nur-Sultan City were examined by the Fuelleborn method for gastrointestinal parasites. Faecal stages of 6 different helminth and 2 protozoan parasites were detected in 49 (42.9%) of the samples: Toxascarisleonina eggs were most prevalent (29.8%) followed by Toxocaracanis (4.4%) and taeniid eggs, possibly of Echinococcus sp. eggs (4.4%), Dipylidiumcaninum egg capsules (3.6%), Trichurisvulpis eggs (1.8%), ancylostomatid eggs (1.8%). Cystoisosporacanisoocysts and Sarcocystis sp. sporocysts were detected in 4.4% and 0.9% of the samples, respectively. Mixed infections with T. leonina and other parasites were found in 17 cases (14.9%). These results showed that control of parasite infections in the animal shelter should be strongly improved, also to prevent the infection of humans with zoonotic parasites.