Common helminths of domestic carnivores and associated epidemiological risks: a systematic review

Abstract

Domestic carnivores are hosts for various helminth parasitic species that impact their health, but also with relevance for humans since some of these parasites have a zoonotic potential. Knowledge about occurrence and distribution of helminth infections in domestic carnivores are of high interest as a base for better understanding the epidemiology and challenges for the both animal and public health. Therefore, the present paper aimed to analyze the current status and associated risks for animal and public health of intestinal helminth infections in domestic carnivores. For this, evidencebased knowledge from specialized literature and original epidemiological studies reported over the last two decades searched in international databases following specified inclusion predefined eligibility criteria were selected for analysis. Overall, the findings emphasized that helminth infections in domestic carnivores have large distribution with prevalence varying, according to different variables, from 7.9% up to 93.3% in dogs, and from 7.2% up to 51.84% in cats, respectively. Among the common helminths reported in dogs were Ancylostomidae (2.2% - 61.36%), Toxocara canis (0.57% - 53.84%), Trichuris vulpis (0.3% - 34.09%), while in cats the most common was Toxocara cati (4.7% - 40.2%), including species with serious public health implications due to their zoonotic potential. These aspects strongly suggest for a high need of continuous monitoring and increased awareness among the both veterinarians and animal owners about the occurrence of the parasitic helminths in domestic carnivores and the associated risk factors for both animal and human health.