Gastrointestinal parasites in dogs in Lubumbashi

Abstract

A parasitological study was conducted in 2015 in dogs of different sexes, ages and breeds, living freely in the city of Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo. A coprological examination of the fecal samples was carried out with the flotation technique. Of the 120 dogs examined, 78 (65 %) were infested, of which 74 (61.7 %) had gastrointestinal helminths and 4 (3.3 %) had coccidia. Results revealed the presence of five parasite species: Ankylostoma spp. (41 dogs), Toxocara canis (22), Toxascaris leonina (8), Isospora canis (4) and Dipylidium caninum (3). I. canis was only found in puppies. The frequent detection of hookworms and T. canis suggests that there is a risk of human contamination by these zoonotic parasites in Lubumbashi.