Prevalence of intestinal parasites in street dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) with highlights on zoonosis in Lalitpur, Nepal.

BACKGROUND: The presence of intestinal parasites influences the growth and well-being of canids. Additionally, infected dogs and their faeces with considerably higher eggs/oocysts released per gram (epg/opg) of zoonotic parasites contribute to parasitic spillover to humans, domestic animals and sympatric wildlife. OBJECTIVES: The current study aimed to reveal the prevalence of intestinal parasites (protozoa and helminths) and to list the zoonotically significant parasites in free-roaming street dogs in Lalitpur Metropolitan City, Nepal. METHODS: Fresh faecal samples (n = 332) were collected from feral dogs of varying ages and sexes and transported to the research laboratory. The copro microscopic examination was carried out via direct wet mount, formalin ethyl acetate sedimentation, saturated salt flotation, acid-fast staining and sporulation techniques. RESULTS: Coproscopy revealed an overall 95.7% (318/332) prevalence rate with 23 diverse species of intestinal parasites (10 protozoa and 13 helminths). Among them, 5 protozoa and 11 helminths possessed zoonotic potential, and their overall prevalence was 92.5%. Helminth's overall prevalence was double that of the protozoa (87.7% vs. 43%). Polyparasitism was dominant over mono parasitism (79.5% vs. 16.3%), and co-infection of up to seven species of parasites at a time was recorded. CONCLUSIONS: Urban street dogs harboured a higher prevalence of intestinal parasites that varied with age and sex. Since most of the reported parasites are zoonotic, dog density and parasitic richness indicate a greater spillover risk to humans and domestic animals. Furthermore, this study also provides appropriate 'baseline' data for assessing effective control measures against parasitic infestations among street dogs and controlling their transmission to humans.

Canine leptospirosis in stray and sheltered dogs: a systematic review.

The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the prevalence of leptospirosis among stray and sheltered dogs worldwide. Six databases were searched, which resulted in the retrieval of 476 articles. Sixty articles were selected for analysis according to 10 quality criteria. Among the selected papers, 26 papers [43.4% (26/60)] met five of the 10 quality criteria established, 10 papers [16.7% (10/60)] met three criteria, nine papers [15.0% (9/60)] met four criteria, six papers [10.0% (6/60)] met six criteria, four papers [6.7% (4/60)] met eight criteria, and three papers [5.0% (3/60)] met nine of the 10 criteria, whereas two papers [1.7% (1/60)] met two and seven [1.7% (1/60)] criteria. Publications originated mainly from the Americas [45.0% (27/60)] and in the last 16 years (2003-2019) [81.7% (49/60)], and most of the sampled dogs were stray dogs [65.0% (39/60)]. The most commonly used diagnostic test for leptospirosis was the microscopic agglutination test [78.4% (47/60)] followed by polymerase chain reaction [21.7% (13/60)], and the most common serovars were Canicola [71.4% (35/49)], Icterohaemorrhagiae [65.3% (32/49)], Grippotyphosa [40.8% (20/49)], and Pomona [40.8% (20/49)]. In conclusion, our results showed that Leptospira spp. are present in unowned dogs worldwide; however, the low-methodological quality of the recovered cross-sectional studies precluded a meta-analysis.

Circadian rhythm in behavioral activities and diurnal abundance of stray street dogs in the city of Sambalpur, Odisha, India.

This is the first research article that documents circadian variability in behavioral variables, namely resting (Rt) and standing (St) in stray street dogs of Sambalpur city, India. We also estimated the abundance as a function of time of the day and gender in a population of stray dog inhabiting streets of the city. In addition, we determined the association between the behavioral variables and the environmental variables, such as light intensity, sound intensity, temperature and humidity. We determined the abundance of street dogs at 10 hotspots using the photographic capture-recapture technique and Lincoln index equation. In another study, we determined dogs' density along the three randomly selected routes that connect the beginning (Dhanupali) and end (P.C. Bridge) of the city precincts. We recorded the resting and standing activities of the stray street dogs using still and video cameras at four times of the day continuously over a longitudinal timescale of 72 hours. This study was conducted at four randomly selected dog hotspots. Subjecting the log-transformed time series data to the Cosinor rhythmometry we obtained three different rhythm parameters, such as mesor (M), amplitude (A) and acrophase (Ø) of the rhythm in resting and standing behavior of stray street dogs. We found out both spatial and temporal variability in the behavior of street dogs. The sightings of dogs were always more during the evening and nighttime irrespective of the investigated routes and hotspots. Further, we also observed that the abundance of male dogs was always significantly more as compared with the bitches. A lack of association between two attributes the time of the day and gender apropos the number of sightings of the street dogs was validated by the Fisher's exact test. Using Pearson's correlation analysis technique we found a negative relationship between light intensity and resting activity. In addition, we also found a negative association between standing activity and ambient environmental temperature. These findings were complimentary to the observed circadian variability in the resting and standing behavior of the stray street dogs. In conclusion, despite a few limitations, this study documents a statistically significant circadian rhythm in activities of stray street dogs. It also highlights spatial variability in the abundance of dogs on the streets and hotspot localities of the urban Sambalpur. We do have a hunch. It is likely that similar phenomenamight be of common occurrence in many urban areas of the world. These data might also help in addressing street dog menace - one of the major problems the people and administrative authorities of most of the Indian cities and elsewhere worldwide are experiencing since quite long.

An Exploration of Attitudes Toward Dogs among College Students in Bangalore, India.

Conversations in the field of anthrozoology include treatment and distinction of food animals, animals as workers versus pests, and most recently, emerging pet trends including the practice of pet parenting. This paper explores attitudes toward pet dogs in the shared social space of urban India. The data include 375 pen-and-paper surveys from students at CHRIST (Deemed to be University) in Bangalore, India. Reflecting upon Serpell's biaxial concept of dogs as a relationship of affect and utility, the paper considers the growing trend of pet dog keeping in urban spaces and the increased use of affiliative words to describe these relationships. The paper also explores potential sex differences in attitudes towards pet and stray dogs. Ultimately, these findings suggest that the presence of and affiliation with pet dogs, with reduced utility and increased affect, is symptomatic of cultural changes typical of societies encountering the second demographic transition. Despite this, sex differences as expected based upon evolutionary principles, remain present, with women more likely to emphasize health and welfare and men more likely to emphasize bravery and risk taking.

Comparative study of rabies antibody titers of dogs vaccinated in Finland and imported street dogs vaccinated abroad.

Seventy-two canine serum samples were analyzed for post-vaccination serum titers of rabies antibodies. The samples were divided into two groups: Group 1 dogs (n = 36) were imported dogs from the Russian Federation (n = 31) or Romania (n = 5), with a mean serum antibody titer value of 1.54 IU/mL. Group 2 dogs (n = 36) were Finnish dogs vaccinated in Finland, with a mean titer of 4.19 IU/mL. Altogether, 14 (39%) dogs (CI 95% 23-56) were without detectable antibodies (≤ 0.1 IU/mL) in Group 1, whereas in Group 2, all dogs had an antibody titer greater than 0.1 IU/mL. A statistically significant difference was observed between these groups when comparing the proportions of dogs with antibody levels less than or exceeding 0.5 IU/mL. In Group 1, 19 out of the 36 dogs (CI 95% 36-70) had serum titer values < 0.5 IU/mL, while in Group 2, only 2 dogs had serum titer values < 0.5 IU/mL. Despite the small sample size, this raises concern over the imported dogs having insufficient antibody levels required for international travel and implies that these dogs had perhaps not been vaccinated, even though they had documentation of vaccination upon arrival.

Animal Welfare in Nepal.

The small densely populated country of Nepal rises from just above sea level to more than 8800 m and encompasses many agro-ecological zones. Rich in both nature and culture, livestock are integral to household and national economies. Most Nepalese consider the cow sacred, and slaughter is forbidden. Other nonhuman animals are less esteemed, slaughter is not proscribed, and many are sacrificed during religious festivals. Limited financial and material resources, inadequate feed supplies, poor access to veterinary services, absence of appropriate legislation, and ignoring the needs of livestock as sentient beings can compromise welfare and lead to inhumane treatment. This article reviews the welfare status of various groups (food-producing stock, work animals, street dogs, experimental animals, and elephants in captivity). Several animal welfare charities are represented. Suggestions for improved welfare are discussed, but the prognosis is not encouraging especially in view of the widespread struggle and people's own struggle for survival.