Coprological and ultrasonographic study in dogs and sheep of a suburban community in the Estado de México in search of Echinococcus spp

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Ulises Rodríguez Prado
América Gutiérrez-Marín
Joel Martínez-Ocaña
Mirza Romero-Valdovinos
Angélica Olivo-Díaz
Rigoberto Hernández-Castro
Ana Flisser
Pablo Maravilla
José Juan Matínez Maya

Abstract

The study described here was performed in a suburban community of the Estado de México to Echinococcus spp, since a human case of cystic echinococcosis (CE) was identifed previously. Overall, 91% (406/446) of the houses were visited and oral informed consent was obtained from dog owners; a questionnaire related to their dogs was applied and a coprological sample was obtained. It was found that 14% of dog owners fed them with raw livestock viscera. Coprological studies showed that eggs of Ancylostoma and Toxocara were the most abundant, thus deworming was recommended to all owners. Dogs with Taenia spp eggs were treated and Taenia pisiformis adults were released, not from Echinococcus spp. Most sheep in the community were studied by ultrasound and viscera of those slaughtered, were visually inspected; confrming the absence of CE. Interestingly, although no evidences of Echinococcus spp were found in animals, an autochthonous human case of CE was detected in 2006; this, added to proper practices for maintaining the life cycle of this parasite, suggests that echinococ- cosis in Mexico has a random behavioral pattern.
Keywords:
Echinococcus spp cystic echinococcosis intestinal parasites dogs ultrasound

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