Gastrointestinal Parasites of Dogs in Egypt: An Update on the Prevalence in Dakahlia Governorate and a Meta-Analysis for the Published Data from the Country

Simple Summary Dogs are hosts for several gastrointestinal (GIT) parasites that pose potential threats for health of humans and animals. Herein, various GIT parasites in feces of stray dogs in Dakahlia governorate, Egypt, were surveyed. Interestingly, the prevalence greatly declined compared to what had been detected in the latest surveys from Dakahlia published 40 years ago; nonetheless, a few parasites, including Toxocara canis, remain prevalent. Various meta-analyses were also conducted to combine our findings with findings of earlier surveys on dogs from Egypt, and the results highlighted the need for a close collaboration between veterinary and public health authorities in Egypt in a One Health approach. Since the last survey on gastrointestinal (GIT) parasites infecting dogs in Dakahlia governorate, Egypt, was published 40 years ago, the present study detected various GIT parasites in feces of 78 stray dogs in this governorate. Twenty-one dogs (35.9%) had eggs/oocysts of eight different parasites including Toxocara canis (19.2%), Toxascaris leonina (2.6%), hookworms (1.3%), Taenia species (5.1%), Dipylidium caninum (2.6%), Cystoisospora canis (5.1%), Cystoisospora ohioensis (2.6%), and Neospora caninum-like oocysts (1.3%). These results were combined in various meta-analyses with findings of all published surveys on GIT parasites of dogs in Egypt to underline the potential parasitic zoonoses from dogs in the country. Feces and/or gastrointestinal tracts of 19,807 dogs from various Egyptian governorates, but particularly Cairo, have been microscopically tested in 182 datasets published between 1938 and 2022, revealed during our systematic database search. Toxocara canis, interestingly, displayed a twofold higher pooled prevalence (24.7%) when compared to the published global pooled prevalence for T. canis, indicating that dogs represent a major risk for toxocariasis in humans from Egypt. Dipylidium caninum (25.4%) as well as various Taenia species (17.1%) also displayed high pooled prevalences. On the contrary, lower pooled prevalence was estimated for the most important zoonotic taeniid Echinococcus granulosus (2.4%) as well as for hookworms (1.8%) in comparison to what has been published from other countries in the region. Relatively high prevalences were estimated for three protozoa detected in dogs and are common to infect children in Egypt; Cryptosporidium (5.5%), Giardia (7.4%), and Entamoeba histolytica (9.8%). In general, the pooled prevalence estimated for various parasites detected in dogs from Egypt has decreased in the recent years, sometimes by as much as one-fifth, but this great decline is statistically insignificant, which should alert the veterinary and public health authorities to continue their efforts for controlling these parasites in a One Health approach.

Automated summary

A survey was carried out on various gastrointestinal parasites in feces of stray dogs in Dakahlia governorate, Egypt. The prevalence of infection has significantly declined compared to 40 years ago, but certain parasites like Toxocara canis remain prevalent. Meta-analyses were conducted to combine the findings with previous surveys, highlighting the need for collaboration between veterinary and public health authorities in a One Health approach in Egypt.