Soil contamination by Toxocara spp. eggs in a University in Mexico City

Assessing the applications and efficacy of using helminthophagous fungi to control canine gastrointestinal parasites

Helminths are a major challenge in dog breeding, particularly affecting young animals and posing a significant zoonotic risk. The widespread use of anthelmintics to treat gastrointestinal helminth infections in companion animals is common. However, these chemical products generate residues that can have adverse effects on animal, human and environmental health. In addition to the challenge of parasite resistance to treatment, there is an urgent need to explore and discuss complementary and sustainable methods of controlling helminthiases in these animals. In this context, nematophagous or helminthophagous fungi have emerged as a potential tool for the control of environmental forms of helminths. The purpose of this review is to emphasize the importance of these fungi in the control of free-living forms of helminth parasites in companion animals by highlighting the research that has been conducted for this purpose. In vitro experiments demonstrated the efficacy of fungi like Pochonia chlamydosporia, Arthrobotrys robusta, and Monacrosporium thaumasium in trapping and reducing helminth infective forms. These findings, along with soil contamination studies, suggest the feasibility of using helminthophagous fungi as a sustainable and effective strategy for environmental control. The current literature supports the potential of these fungi as an environmentally friendly solution for managing helminthiasis in dogs, benefiting both animal health and public welfare.

Determinación de los principales parásitos intestinales en perros de Unidades Habitacionales y Parques en Apizaco, Tlaxcala, México

El vínculo entre perros y humanos es un fenómeno complejo y multidimensional, que, además de biológico es social y llega a ser un problema de Salud Pública. El concepto de dueño de una mascota ha evolucionado al término de tutor, por la relación de las personas con los perros, quienes además poseen derechos y están protegidos por leyes internacionales de protección animal. El objetivo del trabajo fue analizar el manejo de las heces y evaluar la presencia de helmintos en las Unidades Habitacionales y Parques (UHyPR) recreativos de Apizaco, Tlaxcala, México. Se empleó un estudio descriptivo transversal. El 75 % de las personas con perros recogen las heces en bolsas y las depositan en basureros. Hubo diferencias significativas (P<0,05) a presencia de parásitos, 66 % de perros con tutores y 89 % perros sin tutor. Los parásitos identificados fueron Toxocara canis, Ancylostoma caninum, Cystoisospora y Uncinaria stenocephala. Los perros sin tutor fueron los más parasitados 90 % (P<0,05), prevaleciendo T. canis (36 %) y A. caninum (56 %). Se encontró que los perros con tutor y acceso a vía pública presentaron T. canis (73 %) y A. caninum (77 %). Perros con tutor sin acceso a vía pública tuvieron: 49 % T. canis y 15 % A. caninum. Los perros sin dueño se asociaron (P=0,046) con mayor número de nemátodos intestinales. En conclusión, en las UHyPR en Apizaco, Tlaxcala se presenta un problema de manejo de excretas de perros, que al estar expuestas son causa de zoonosis por parásitos, lo que muestra la necesidad de un programa integral de salud pública hacia la tenencia responsable de mascotas, que abarque todos los sectores de la sociedad.

Assessment of the presence of Toxocara eggs in soils of an arid area in central-western Argentina

With the aim of studying the contamination of soils with eggs of Toxocara spp. in an arid area in the central-western region of Argentina, 76 soil samples were collected from 18 towns belonging to six provinces of central-western Argentina. They were processed by the centrifugal flotation method. No eggs of Toxocara spp. were found. It can be concluded that the negative results are directly related to the characteristics of the environment and climate present in the studied area. The finding of eggs in soils depends on several factors: the presence of canine or feline feces, the hygienic behavior of pet owners, the presence of stray animals without veterinary supervision, the weather and environmental conditions, and laboratory techniques used; and all these circumstances must be considered when comparing the results found in different geographical regions. In order to accurately define the importance of public spaces in the transmission of infection to humans, it is important to consider the role of backyards or green spaces around housing in small towns, where the population is not used to walking pets in public spaces, and in such cases a significant fraction of the population may acquire the infection within households.

Efficacy of a novel topical combination of fipronil, (S)-methoprene, eprinomectin and praziquantel against adult and larval stages of Toxocara cati in cats

The efficacy of a novel topical combination of fipronil 8.3% (w/v), (S)-methoprene 10% (w/v), eprinomectin 0.4% (w/v), and praziquantel 8.3% (w/v) (BROADLINE(®), Merial) was evaluated against adult and larval Toxocara cati in four controlled studies. All studies included experimentally infected, purpose-bred, short-haired cats. In two studies, 22 or 20 cats harbouring patent infections as confirmed by pre-treatment faecal examination, were included. Within each study, cats were allocated to one of two groups: control or treated. In a further two studies, 30 cats were included in each; cats were allocated to one of three groups: control, treated when T. cati were expected to be either migrating third and/or fourth-stage larvae, or treated when T. cati were expected to be fourth-stage larvae. Cats allocated to the treated groups received a single topical application of the combination product at 0.12 mL/kg bodyweight (10mg fipronil+12 mg (S)-methoprene+0.5mg eprinomectin+10mg praziquantel per kg). For parasite recovery and count, cats were euthanized humanely at different intervals after treatment. In the studies targeting adult T. cati, ascarids were recovered from all controls (range 1-150) while only two worms were isolated from one treated cat. Thus, the efficacy of the novel combination was 99.4% and 100% against adult T. cati. For studies targeting larval T. cati, up to 21 worms were recovered from each of seven or eight of the control cats per study. No T. cati were recovered from the treated cats in two studies, corresponding to 100% efficacy against both, migrating third and/or fourth-stage larvae and luminal fourth-stage larvae. All cats accepted the treatment well and no adverse experiences or other health problems were observed throughout the studies.