The prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites and risk factors for shedding of Toxocara eggs were determined for 916 Dutch household dogs older than 6 months. Additionally, the owners answered a questionnaire about their dogs and their attitude towards routine deworming was assessed. Faecal samples were examined using the centrifugal sedimentation flotation method. The overall prevalence of dogs shedding Toxocara eggs was 4.6 %. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that the risk for 1-7-year-old dogs to shed Toxocara eggs was significantly lower (OR 0.38) than that of 6-12-month-old dogs. Compared to dogs walking ≤20 % of the time off-leash, those ranging freely 50-80 % and 80-100 % of the time had a significantly higher risk (OR 10.49 and 13.52, respectively) of shedding Toxocara eggs. Other risk factors were coprophagy (OR 2.44) and recently being kenneled (OR 2.76). Although the applied deworming frequency was not significantly associated with shedding Toxocara eggs, there was a trend towards no shedding in dogs under strict supervision that were dewormed 3-4 times a year. Most dog owners (68 %) recognized 'dog's health' as the main reason for deworming. Only 16 % of dogs were dewormed four times a year. It was concluded that the prevalence of Toxocara egg-shedding household dogs is almost unchanged over recent years and that the knowledge of owners is insufficient to expect sound decisions on routine deworming.

A longitudinal study was performed to (i) investigate the continuity of shedding of extended-spectrum-beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae in dogs without clinical signs, (ii) identify dominant plasmid-mediated ESBL genes, and (iii) quantify ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae in feces. Fecal samples from 38 dogs were collected monthly for 6 months. Additional samples were collected from 7 included dogs on a weekly basis for 6 weeks. Numbers of CFU per gram of feces for nonwild-type Enterobacteriaceae were determined by using MacConkey agar supplemented with 1 mg/liter cefotaxime (MCC), and those for total Enterobacteriaceae were determined by using MacConkey agar. Cefotaxime-resistant isolates were screened by PCR and sequence analysis for the presence of bla CTX-M , bla CMY , bla SHV , bla OXA , and bla TEM gene families. Bacterial species were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) analysis. PCR-negative isolates were tested by a double-disk synergy test for enhanced AmpC expression. A total of 259 samples were screened, and 126 samples were culture positive on MCC, resulting in 352 isolates, 327 of which were Escherichia coli. Nine dogs were continuously positive during this study, and 6 dogs were continuously negative. Monthly or weekly shifts in fecal shedding were observed for 23 dogs. Genotyping showed a large variety of ESBL genes and gene combinations at single and multiple consecutive sampling moments. The ESBL genes bla CTX-M-1 , bla CTX-M-14 , bla CTX-M-15 , bla SHV-12 , and bla CMY-2 were most frequently found. The mean number of CFU of non-wild-type Enterobacteriaceae was 6.11 ؋ 10 8 CFU/g feces. This study showed an abundance of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae in dogs in the Netherlands, mostly in high concentrations. Fecal shedding was shown to be highly dynamic over time, which is important to consider when studying ESBL epidemiology.A substantial share of the present global emergence of antimicrobial resistance is represented by extended-spectrumbeta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae. So far, these bacteria have been isolated from a large variety of sources, including humans, animals, and the environment. Together, these sources seem to form a complex network of reservoirs and transmission routes where ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae are circulating (1).High prevalences of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae were found in Dutch poultry, pigs, and cattle (2). High prevalences of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae were also found in Dutch companion animals, i.e., 45% in dogs without clinical signs and 55% in diarrheic dogs (3). As companion animals live in close contact with humans, they might contribute substantially to the exposure of humans to ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae. Similar ESBL gene types, i.e., CTX-M-14, CTX-M-15, SHV-12, and CMY-2, were found in strains originating from humans and companion animals (1). Additionally, transmission of CTX-M-15-carrying ST131 and ST648 Escherichia coli stra...

Toxocarosis is a zoonotic parasitic disease transmitted from companion animals to humans. Environmental contamination with Toxocara eggs is considered to be the main source of human infections. In Portugal, knowledge regarding the current situation, including density, distribution and environmental contamination by Toxocara spp., is largely unknown. The present study investigated environmental contamination with Toxocara spp. eggs, in soil and faecal samples collected from public parks and playground sandpits in Greater Lisbon, Portugal. A total of 151 soil samples and 135 canine faecal samples were collected from 7 public sandpits and 12 public parks, over a 4 month-period. Soil samples were tested by a modified centrifugation and sedimentation/flotation technique and faecal samples were tested by an adaptation of the Cornell-Wisconsin method. Molecular analysis and sequencing were performed to discriminate Toxocara species in the soil. Overall, 85.7% of the sandpits (6/7) and 50.0% of the parks (6/12) were contaminated with Toxocara spp. eggs. The molecular analysis of soil samples showed that, 85.5% of the sandpits and 34.4% of the parks were contaminated with Toxocara cati eggs. Faecal analysis showed that 12.5% of the sandpits and 3.9% of the parks contained Toxocara canis eggs. In total, 53.0% of soil and 5.9% of faecal samples were positive for Toxocara spp. Additionally, 56.0% of the eggs recovered from the samples were embryonated after 60 days of incubation, therefore considered viable and infective. The average density was 4.2 eggs per hundred grams of soil. Public parks and playground sandpits in the Lisbon area were found to be heavily contaminated with T. cati eggs, representing a serious menace to public health as the studied areas represent common places where people of all ages, particularly children, recreate. This study sounds an alarm bell regarding the necessity to undertake effective measures such as reduction of stray animals, active faecal collection by pet owners, awareness campaigns and control strategies to decrease the high risk to both animal and human health.

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The prevalence of and risk factors for shedding Toxocara eggs in cats older than 6 months were determined by examining 670 faecal samples collected in 4 cross-sectional studies in the Netherlands. Additionally, cat owners provided information on their attitude towards routine deworming. Samples were examined using the centrifugal sedimentation flotation method. Overall Toxocara prevalence was 7.2 %. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that young age and living in rural areas were significant risk factors for shedding Toxocara eggs. Moreover, the more time a cat was allowed to roam outdoors, the higher was its risk to shed Toxocara as compared to cats with no outdoor access at all. For 199 cats (81.6 % of cats subjected to a deworming regimen) owners provided the reason for treatment. The main reason for routine deworming (80.4 %) concerned the cat’s health and only 10.6 % of the cats were treated for public health reasons. Moreover, the generally advocated four-times-a-year deworming advice was applied on only 24.5 % of cats. We concluded that free roaming is a key factor in the acquisition of patent Toxocara infections leading to the environmental contamination with Toxocara eggs. Additionally, the knowledge of cat owners is still insufficient to expect them to make sound decisions on routine deworming.