Molecular detection od Echinococcus spp. in hunting dogs

Abstract

Echinococcosis is a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by tapeworms of the genus Echinococcus.Definitive hosts are foxes, jackals, dogs, and less often cats, while intermediate hosts arecommonly rodents. Humans and other mammals are accidental hosts. Wild carnivores play a keyrole in dispersing tapeworm eggs in the environment, yet domestic species can contribute totransmission of tapeworms to humans. Echinococcus multilocularis has been detected in goldenjackals in eastern Serbia, south of the Danube. The larval stage of this species causes alveolarechinococcosis, characterized by invasive, infiltrative growth, akin to malignant neoplasms. In thisstudy, feces of hunting dogs (n=30) from the same region were analyzed for the presence ofEchinococcus spp. A questionnaire was administered to owners to determine husbandry practicesand use of antihelminthics. Taeniid eggs (22-50 μm) were isolated from feces using ZnCl2 flotationcombined with mesh filtration, followed by DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) isolation and PCR(polymerase chain reaction) analysis for the identification of Echinococcus granulosus,Echinococcus canadensis and Echinococcus multilocularis. No Echinococcus spp. eggs weredetected. Questionnaire results showed that most hunting dogs reside in rural areas, are keptoutdoors and are taken to hunting grounds, but regular deworming is not practiced. These findings,along with the presence of Echinococcus multilocularis in jackals, suggest that there is a risk forinfection of dogs and transmission to humans. Additional research to identify infected dogs isongoing. The role of veterinarians in promoting the importance of regular deworming of huntingdogs is vital, to implement effective prevention, similar to the rabies model.