Fecal Shedding of Toxocara canis and Other Parasites in Foxes and Coyotes on Prince Edward Island, Canada

Abstract

ABSTRACT:Knowledge of parasites shed by wild canids can assist in recognizing risk to human and domestic animal health. Our aim was to estimate the prevalence of patent infections with Toxocara canis and other parasites in foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and coyotes (Canis latrans) in Prince Edward Island, Canada. Identification of parasite species was based on microscopic examination of feces, with the use of a sucrose fecal flotation method. Sample collection was performed in winter on carcasses of 271 and 185 hunted or trapped foxes and coyotes, respectively. One or more parasite species were observed in 242 (89%) foxes and 128 (69%) coyotes. Toxocara canis, Uncinaria stenocephala, Capillaria spp., Mesocestoides, Taenidd spp., Alaria spp., Cryptocotyle lingua, Sarcocystis spp., Neospora caninum-like coccidia, and other coccidia were identified. A third of juvenile foxes were shedding T. canis and had a high prevalence of Capillaria spp., especially in juvenile foxes (69%). Taenidd eggs, Alaria spp. and Sarcocystis spp. were more common in coyotes (24, 18, and 9%, respectively) than foxes (8, 11, and 1%, respectively). Despite the limitations of fecal flotation to identify parasite species, the high prevalence of T. canis warrants the attention of public health professionals.

Knowledge gaps in the epidemiology ofToxocara: the enigma remains

“…2001; Roddie et al 2008 a ; Wapenaar et al . 2013) and Toxocara cati (syn. Toxocara mystax) infects cats and other felids (Fisher, 2003).…”

Zoonotic nematodes of wild carnivores

“…The prevalence of patent T. canis infections varies in European foxes between 9 and 65% with data available for Denmark (48–65%, Saeed et al, 2006; Al-Sabi et al, 2014); Switzerland (44% in Geneva and 47% in Zurich, Reperant et al, 2007; Hofer et al, 2000); Austria (48%, Duscher et al, 2014); Italy (9–53%, Magi et al, 2009; Fiocchi et al, 2016); Ireland (20%, Stuart et al, 2013); Lithuania (41%, Bružinskaitė-Schmidhalter et al, 2012); Estonia (30%, Laurimaa et al, 2016b); Poland (11%, Borecka et al, 2013); the Slovak Republic (43%, Miterpáková et al, 2009). Also in other endemic areas high prevalence of T. canis in foxes have been documented (e.g., Australia, New South Wales, up to 35.2%, Ryan, 1976; Japan, 71%, Sato et al, 1999; Iran, 32%, Meshgi et al, 2009; Canada, 32.5% in juveniles, 15.1% in adults, Wapenaar et al, 2013).…”

“…In Australien wild dogs (dingoes) the prevalence of T. canis was up to 46% from Wet Tropics region around Cairns, Far North Queensland (Smout et al, 2013), and 27.8% of 18 dingoes from Fraser Island (Queensland) with close ntcoact with human habitation were infected (Mackenstedt et al, 2015). Finally, up to 24% in the coyotes from Southeastern region of Nebraska and Shenandoah area of Iowa in USA (Redman et al, 2016) and, again, to 3.5% in juveniles and 1.1% in adults from Prince Edward Island, Canada (Wapenaar et al, 2013).…”

Toxocara spp.

“…are found in the intestine of a wide range of domestic and feral definitive hosts. T. canis infects domestic dogs (O'Lorcain, 1994a), foxes (Roddie et al, 2008), wolves (Segovia et al, 2001) and coyotes (Wapenaar et al, 2013) whereas T. cati infects domestic and wild felids (Fisher, 2003). In contrast T. leonina infects both dogs and cats (Miyazaki, 1991).…”