Urban Dog Parks As Sources of Canine Parasites: Contamination Rates and Pet Owner Behaviours in Lisbon, Portugal

Overview

Journal J Environ Public Health

Specialties Environmental Health
Public Health

Date 2017 Sep 27

PMID 28947905

Citations 20

Authors

Ana Ferreira

Ana Margarida Alho

David Otero

Lidia Gomes

Rolf Nijsse

Paul A M Overgaauw

Luis Madeira de Carvalho

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Dog parks represent a recent trend in western countries, enabling owners to spend quality time with their pets in a controlled environment. Despite their growing popularity, few studies have been performed to date on these parks to investigate dog intestinal parasitic infections and soil contamination. The present study examined 369 faecal and 18 soil samples collected from 3 dog parks in Greater Lisbon, Portugal. Additionally, 102 interviews were performed with dog owners to assess dog-walking behaviours and parasite risk. In total, 33% of the faecal dog samples were infected with at least one parasitic agent: hookworms (16.5%), spp. (11.9%), spp. (11.4%), (1.1%), spp. (1.1%), spp. (0.5%), and sp. (0.3%). The soil of all the parks was contaminated with hookworm eggs. This is the first study performed in a European urban area to assess canine faecal contamination and parasitic agents in dog parks. Our results highlight the potential of these parks as a source of transmission for canine parasites, including some with zoonotic potential. Public awareness and effective preventive measures should be promoted to minimise the health-risk impact to both animals and humans, under the scope of environmental and public health.

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