Comparison of coproparasitological exams and necropsy for diagnosis of gastro-intestinal helminth infection in mongrel dogs (Canis familiaris, Linnaeus, 1758) from the Metropolitan Region of Recife – state of Pernambuco – Brazil

Abstract

This work was carried out to compare the coproparasitological and necropsy exams for diagnosis of gastrointestinal helminth infection, evaluating the parasitism frequency in stray dogs captured by the Centro de Vigilância Ambiental of the city of Recife, Pernambuco. A total of 96 dogs of both sexes, with variying ages and races, were used. The animals were sacrificed and necropsied for the collection of adult helminthes. In parallel, fecal samples were collected directly from the rectum of the animals and processed using Willis’s technique and spontaneous sedimentation. The results obtained in the necropsy indicated a positivity of 96.8% (93∕96), being 83.3%, 34.4%, 30.2%, 28.1%, 14.6%, 6.3% and 2.1% for Ancylostoma caninum, Dypilidium caninum, Toxocara canis, Trichuris vulpis, Ancylostoma braziliense, Toxascaris leonina and Spirocerca lupi, respectively. Results from the Willis technique, sedimentation and necropsy were only significantly different (p<0.05) in the detection of infection by Ancylostoma spp. The Willis technique and sedimentation did notpresent any differences for the other gastrointestinal helminthes.

Keywords

• Ancylostoma caninum
• Gastrointestinal helminthiasis
• Toxocara canis