Prevalence of Toxocara canis ova in dog faeces and soil samples collected from public parks in Makurdi

Abstract

There has been an unprecedented increase in the number of dogs roaming the streets of Makurdi, consequently, the rate of contamination of the environment by dog faeces has also increased with serious implication for visceral and cutaneous larva migrans. 185 faecal samples collected from dogs were examined for eggs of Toxocara cains, of which 68 (36.7%) were infected. The infection rate was significantly higher (p>0.05) in puppies than in young and adult dogs. Of the 200 soil samples collected from primary school compounds and other public parks 56(28%) were positive for Toxocara canis eggs. There was no significant difference (p<0.05) in the level of soil contamination within different area of the town.

The Nigerian Journal of Parasitology Vol. 24 2003: 137-142