Assessing the Rate of Parasitic Infections in Household Pets and Livestock: An Empirical Study
Abstract
Parasitic infections in domesticated animals provide a substantial health risk to the animals and human beings. Common parasites include fleas, ticks and intestinal parasites, which can easily spread between dogs. Regular veterinary check-ups, prophylactic medications and meticulous hygiene protocols are essential for controlling and avoiding these diseases. Pet owners can obtain information about the risks associated with parasite illnesses to protect the well-being of their family and the environment. In this research, we examine the occurrence and dispersion of gastrointestinal parasites in household pets, to provide significant information on public health and animal health management. We collected 60 feces samples from a variety of animals (including dogs, goats, hens and cats) in Delhi, India. The gathered specimens were subjected to the ether concentrations method before that is examined under a microscope for the presence of parasite eggs or larvae. Additionally, demographic details, such as breed and gender details, were collected. The responses were evaluated using SPSS 22.0 application, employing descriptive and chi-square techniques. There were a total of six gastrointestinal parasites observed, with a total prevalence rate of 48.33%. The species identified were “Ascarisspp (A-spp), Strongyloidesspp (S-spp), Prosthogonimusspp (P-spp), Hymenolepsisspp (H-spp), Trichostrongylusspp (T-spp), Tapeworms (Tws)”. The obtained findings will assist in the development and deployment of suitable initiatives for health education for avoiding animal infections and decreasing the possibility of spreading to humans.
References
Hawley, D. M., Gibson, A. K., Townsend, A. K., Craft, M. E., & Stephenson, J. F. (2021). Bidirectional interactions between host social behaviour and parasites arise through ecological and evolutionary processes. Parasitology, 148(3), 274-288.https://doi.org/10.1017/S0031182020002048
Townsend, A. K., Hawley, D. M., Stephenson, J. F., & Williams, K. E. (2020). Emerging infectious disease and the challenges of social distancing in human and non-human animals. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 287(1932), 20201039.https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.1039
Donohue, R. E., Cross, Z. K., & Michael, E. (2019). The extent, nature, and pathogenic consequences of helminth polyparasitism in humans: A meta-analysis. PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 13(6), e0007455.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0007455
Singh, A. K., Ansari, S. K., Raghav, A., & Gaur, V. (2023). Role and Pathophysiology of Protozoan Parasites Causing Liver Diseases. In Pathobiology of Parasitic Protozoa: Dynamics and Dimensions (pp. 45-60). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-8225-5_3
Maurice, A. P., Jenkin, A., Norton, R. E., Hamilton, A., & Ho, Y. H. (2020). Epidemiology of parasitic diseases. The Surgical Management of Parasitic Diseases, 3-21.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47948-0_1
Feleke, B. E., Beyene, M. B., Feleke, T. E., Jember, T. H., & Abera, B. (2019). Intestinal parasitic infection among household contacts of primary cases, a comparative cross-sectional study. PLoS One, 14(10), e0221190.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0221190
Carlson, C.J., Hopkins, S., Bell, K.C., Doña, J., Godfrey, S.S., Kwak, M.L., Lafferty, K.D., Moir, M.L., Speer, K.A., Strona, G. and Torchin, M., (2020). A global parasite conservation plan. Biological Conservation, 250, p.108596.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108596
Mendoza Roldan, J. A., & Otranto, D. (2023). Zoonotic parasites associated with predation by dogs and cats. Parasites & Vectors, 16(1), 55.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-023-05670-y
Overgaauw, P. A., Vinke, C. M., van Hagen, M. A., & Lipman, L. J. (2020). A one health perspective on the human–companion animal relationship with emphasis on zoonotic aspects. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(11), 3789.https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17113789
Bonin, J.L., Torres, S.R., Marcinkiewicz, A.L., Yang, X., Pal, U., DiSpirito, J.M., Nowak, T., Lin, Y.P. and MacNamara, K.C., (2022). Co-infection of Ehrlichia with B. burgdorferi drives emergency myelopoiesis and promotes Lyme arthritis. bioRxiv, pp.2022-08.https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.08.23.505055
Gałęcki, R., & Sokół, R. (2019). A parasitological evaluation of edible insects and their role in the transmission of parasitic diseases to humans and animals. PLoS One, 14(7), e0219303.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0219303
Chalkowski, K., Wilson, A. E., Lepczyk, C. A., &Zohdy, S. (2019). Who let the cats out? A global meta-analysis on risk of parasitic infection in indoor versus outdoor domestic cats (Felis catus). Biology Letters, 15(4), 20180840.https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2018.0840
Squire, S.A., Robertson, I.D., Yang, R., Ayi, I. and Ryan, U., (2019). Prevalence and risk factors associated with gastrointestinal parasites in ruminant livestock in the Coastal Savannah zone of Ghana. Acta Tropica, 199, p.105126.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2019.105126
Sander, V. A., Sánchez López, E. F., Mendoza Morales, L., Ramos Duarte, V. A., Corigliano, M. G., & Clemente, M. (2020). Use of veterinary vaccines for livestock as a strategy to control foodborne parasitic diseases. Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology, 10, 288.https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2020.00288
Kurnosova, O. P., Arisov, M. V., &Odoyevskaya, I. M. (2019). Intestinal parasites of pets and other house-kept animals in Moscow. Helminthologia, 56(2), 108.
Barone, C. D., Wit, J., Hoberg, E. P., Gilleard, J. S., & Zarlenga, D. S. (2020). Wild ruminants as reservoirs of domestic livestock gastrointestinal nematodes. Veterinary Parasitology, 279, 109041.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2020.109041
Rohr, J.R., Barrett, C.B., Civitello, D.J., Craft, M.E., Delius, B., DeLeo, G.A., Hudson, P.J., Jouanard, N., Nguyen, K.H., Ostfeld, R.S. and Remais, J.V., (2019). Emerging human infectious diseases and the links to global food production. Nature sustainability, 2(6), pp.445-456.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-019-0293-3
Tamarozzi, F., Legnardi, M., Fittipaldo, A., Drigo, M., & Cassini, R. (2020). Epidemiological distribution of Echinococcus granulosus s. l. infection in human and domestic animal hosts in European Mediterranean and Balkan countries: A systematic review. PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 14(8), e0008519.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0008519
Income, N., Tongshoob, J., Taksinoros, S., Adisakwattana, P., Rotejanaprasert, C., Maneekan, P., &Kosoltanapiwat, N. (2021). Helminth infections in cattle and goats in Kanchanaburi, Thailand, with focus on strongyle nematode infections. Veterinary sciences, 8(12), 324.https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci8120324
Felefel, W., Shabian, A. E. H., Eassa, S. M., &Loutfy, N. (2023). The prevalence of parasitic infections among slaughtered animals in mechanical abattoir. Iraqi Journal of Veterinary Sciences, 37(2), 469-477.
