Abstract

VITELA-MENDOZA, Irene et al. Cryptosporidium infection frequency in dogs on dairy farms and in urban areas of the state of Aguascalientes, Mexico. Rev. mex. de cienc. pecuarias [online]. 2019, vol.10, n.1, pp.1-13. ISSN 2448-6698.  https://doi.org/10.22319/rmcp.v10i1.4758.

The intestinal parasite Cryptosporidium spp. is highly infectious in wild and domestic animals and humans. Infection frequency in dogs can vary between rural and urban environments. Cryptosporidium spp. infection frequency was quantified in dogs on dairy farms and in an urban area in the state of Aguascalientes, Mexico, and some possible risk factors analyzed. Feces samples were collected from 168 dogs at 30 dairy farms distributed among the state’s ten municipalities (rural), and from 144 dogs at the Aguascalientes municipal Animal Control, Care and Welfare Center (urban area). Fecal smears were stained with Kinyoun to identify and count parasite oocysts. A questionnaire was applied to gather information on factors that could increase infection risk, and a risk analysis run using logistic regression. Overall infection frequency was 20.5 % (64/312; CI95% 16-25). In farm dogs it was 30 % (51/168; 95% CI 23-38) and in urban dogs 9 % (13/144; 95% CI 5-15). Seventy percent (70 %) of the dairy farms had positive dogs, average number of dogs per farm was 5.6, and dog density per farm was 2 to 12. Diarrheic feces was the only identified risk factor for Cryptosporidium infection, in both urban dogs (OR, 3.2; 95% CI 1.06-9.79 P<0.03) and farm dogs (OR, 2.7; CI95% 1.36-5.49 P<0.001). Infection frequency was highest in farm dogs, suggesting a consequently higher probability of cross-infection in this type of environment.

Keywords : Cryptosporidium; Frequency; Dogs; Risk factors.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in English | Spanish     · English ( pdf ) | Spanish ( pdf )