Geographical distribution and risk factors for Echinococcus granulosus carriage in peri-urban wild dog populations

Publication date: Available online 16 August 2019Source: International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and WildlifeAuthor(s): Lana Harriott, Matthew Gentle, Rebecca Traub, Rowland Cobbold, Ricardo Soares MagalhãesAbstractThe transmission of zoonotic pathogens associated with wildlife in peri-urban environments can be influenced by the interplay of numerous socioecological factors. Echinococcus granulosus is known to be common within peri-urban wild dog populations however knowledge of the factors that influence its presence is limited. We investigated the demographic distribution of the Index of Potential Contamination (IPC) and the role of the physical environment, climate and individual factors in determining the geographical variation of E. granulosus carriage in wild dog populations from southeast Queensland and surrounds. Our results suggest the presence of significant E. granulosus aggregation in that 15.8% of peri-urban wild dogs sampled were responsible for ∼70% of the total worm burden. On average, female dogs were found to have a higher IPC than male dogs, and the average IPC generally decreased with age. Significant geographical variation was found in the prevalence of E. granulosus, with a strong propensity for clustering. The average size of clusters was 22.5 km. The probability of finding E. granulosus infection significantly increased with maximum temperature, relative humidity, and rainfall, and after accounting for individual and climatic variables, ...
Source: International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife - Category: Parasitology Source Type: research