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Volume 14, Number 1—January 2008
THEME ISSUE
International Polar Year
Dispatch

Dogs as Sources and Sentinels of Parasites in Humans and Wildlife, Northern Canada

Amanda L. Salb*†, Herman W. Barkema†, Brett T. Elkin†‡, R.C. Andrew Thompson§, Douglas P. Whiteside*†, Sandra R. Black*†, J.P. Dubey¶, and Susan J. Kutz†Comments to Author 
Author affiliations: *Calgary Zoo Animal Health Centre, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; †University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; ‡Government of the Northwest Territories Wildlife Division, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada; §Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia; ¶US Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, Maryland, USA;

Main Article

Table 1

Prevalence and median intensity (range) of parasite eggs or oocysts in feces or positive titers for Toxoplasma and Neospora in dogs in 2 communities in northern Canada

Characteristic Fort Chipewyan
 Fort Resolution
Puppies
 Adults
 Puppies
 Adults
M F M F M F M F
No. dogs 6 1 32 20 5 7 37 21
Prevalence (%), median Intensity (range)*
Alaria spp.† 0 0 0 0 0 0 14, 2 
(1–134) 4, 7
Diphyllobothrium spp.† 17, 50 0 3, 2 0 20, 2 14, 1 11, 6 
(1–603) 4, 6,429
Taeniid spp.†‡ 0 0 6, 4 
(2–5) 5, 55 0 0 11, 7
(1–770) 0
Cytoisospora spp. 0 0 0 5, 43 20, 30 0 0 4, 4
Sarcocystis spp. 0 0 0 15, 30 
(3–53) 40, 2 
(1–2) 14, 21 11, 13
(3–27) 13, 3
(1–255)
Toxascaris spp.† 0 0 0 5, 221 60, 251 
(149–530) 29, 195 
(93–297) 0 17, 138
(35–248)
Toxocara spp.† 33, 10,000 
(610–20,000) 0 0 0 20, 6 14, 2 3, 11 9, 161
(1–321)
Uncinaria spp.†
 0
 0
47, 31 
(1–333)
 5, 63
20, 14
 0
35, 40 
(9– 251)
 26, 27
(17–367)
No. dogs 4 1 30 13 3 7 23 15
Giardia spp.†
 0
 0
0
 8
33
 0
0
 20
No. dogs 6 1 29 16 3 5 30 18
Toxoplasma gondii †§ 50 100 41 50 100 80 60 56
Neospora caninum 0 0 3 6 0 0 7 0

*Range not reported if only 1 dog was positive. Intensity is the number of eggs or oocytes per gram of wet feces.
†Zoonotic parasites.
‡Echinococcus multilocularis, E. granulosus, or Taenia spp.
§23 dogs had titers of 25, 22 had titers of 50, 1 had a titer of 100, 1 had a titer of 200, and 1 had a titer of 400.
¶All 4 dogs had titers of 25.

Main Article

Page created: July 08, 2010
Page updated: July 08, 2010
Page reviewed: July 08, 2010
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
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