Toxocara and Gnathostoma among stray canines in Bangkok

Abstract

Stomachs and intestines of 88 adult and 112 young stray dogs were obtained from the Rabies Control Subdivision, Bangkok, and examined especially for the presence of Gnathostoma spinigerum and Toxocara canis. Forty-five dogs were found positive for T. canis (overall prevalence 22.5%) but none were found infected with G. spinigerum. The prevalence of T. canis in young dogs was 37.5% (42 of 112) whereas in adult dogs was only 3.4% (3 of 88). The total number of T. canis recovered from the 45 positive dogs was 272 (averaging 6.0 worms/dog). This includes 268 worms from 42 young dogs (averaging 6.4 worms/dog) and four worms from three adult dogs (averaging 1.3 worms/dog). The average number of worms, according to sex and stage, per young dog were as follows: male worms 2.4 ± 3.5 (range 0 - 15), female worms 2.8 ± 3.5 (0 - 16), immature worms 1.2 ± 2.5 (0 - 9), and all worms 6.4 ± 8.2 (1 - 34). The maximum number of worms per young dog was 34 while the minimum was one, and 35.7% (15/42) of these young dogs harbored only one worm. The body length of the recovered T. canis were as follows: males measuring 3.0 - 12.0 cm (averaging 7.1 ± 2.1 cm), females 4.1 - 18.2 cm (11.0 ± 4.1 cm), and immature worms 0.7 - 3.7 cm (2.1 ± 0.8 cm).