Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences1028-88801812-5735Asian Network for Scientific Information10.3923/pjbs.2009.1031.1035Toxocara canis in Stray Dogs, Northern Iran]]>DaryaniA. SharifM. AmoueiA. GholamiS. 1220091214Toxocara canis is one of the most common parasites living in the intestine of domestic and stray dogs. A dog eliminates thousands of eggs into the environment that are potential etiological factor for human toxocariasis. The present study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of T. canis in stray dogs in Mazandaran, Iran. In this cross-sectional study, during the period from April to September 2007, 50 young and adult stray dogs were collected by shooting from urban areas of Sari city, Northern Iran. They were necropsied and the gastrointestinal tract was opened. Recovered parasites were fixed in alcohol and stained in carmine. Faecal specimens were also examined by the formalin ether concentration method. A total of 27 adult and 23 young dogs were examined with 11 adults (40.7%) and 19 youngs (82.6%) being infected with T. canis with an overall prevalence of 60%. There were significant differences in the prevalence of infection between adult and young dogs (p = 0.003). There were no significant differences in the prevalence of infection between male and female dogs (p>0.05). Considering the high prevalence of this zoonotic parasite and its hygienic significance in causing human toxocariasis, particularly in children, plus the lack of control of stray dog populations, there is a need to improve personal and food hygiene as well controlling stray dogs in these urban areas.]]>Alonso, J.M., M. Stein, M.C. Chamorro and M.V. Bojanich,2001Toxocara in a subtropical city in Argentina.]]>75165168Ashraf Nohegar, S., K. Esmaeilnia and G. Motamedi,20052005pp: 123Barutzki, D. and R. Schaper,200390S148S150Dalimi, A. and I. Mobedi,199286395397Dalimi, A., A. Sattari and G. Motamedi,2006142129133Dubna, S., I. Langrova, J. Napravnik, I. Jankovska, J. Vadlejch, S. Pekar and J. Fechtner,2007145120128Eguia-Aguilar, P., A. Cruz-Reyes and J.J. Martinez-Maya,2005127139146Engbaek, K., H. Madsen and S. Olesen,1984708794Eslami, A. and M. Mohebali,1988819496Fakhar, M., A. Haaji Hasani and M.H. Raadfar,20012001pp: 190Fallah, M.,1995Toxocara infection in stary dogs of Hamadan and potential risk of visceral larvae migrans in this city.]]>21822Fontanarrosa, M.F., D. Vezzani, J. Basabe and D.F. Eiras,2006136283295Haamedi, I.,19971997pp: 256Habluetzel, A., G. Traldi, S. Ruggieri, A.R. Attili and P. Scuppa et al.,2003Toxocara canis prevalence in dogs, environmental egg contamination and risk of human infection in the Marche region of Italy.]]>133243252Hosseini, H.,19971997pp: 193Kim, Y.H. and S. Huh,2005Toxocara canis, Toxascaris leonina and Dirofilaria immitis in dogs in Chuncheon, Korea (2004).]]>436567Le Nobel, W.E., S.R. Robben, D. Dopfer, W.M. Hendrix, J.H. Boersema, F. Fransen, and M. Eysker,20041294044Magnaval, J.F., L.T. Glickman, P. Dorchies and B. Morassin,200139111Maizels, R.M., I. Schabussova, D.M. Callister and G. Nicoll,2006Toxocara canis.]]>2006pp: 3-12pp: 3-12Maleki, F.,1999177781Haralampidis, S.T., 19771977Martinez-Moreno, F.J., S. Hernandez, E. Lopez-Cobos, C. Becerra, I. Acosta and A. Martinez-Moreno,2007143713Mirzayans, A., A. Eslami, M. Anwar and M. Sanjar,197245860Mizgajska-Wiktor, H. and S. Uga,2006Toxocara cati Eggs in the Environment. Exposure and Environmental Contamination.]]>2006Oliveira-Sequeira, T.C.G., A.F.T. Amarante, T.B. Ferrari and L.C. Nunes,20021031927Papazahariadou, M., A. Founta, E. Papadopoulos, S. Chliounakis, K. Antoniadou-Sotiriadou and Y. Theodorides,2007148170173Pullola, T., J. Vierimaa, S. Saari, A.M. Virtala, S. Nikander and A. Sukura,2006140321326Rubel, D., G. Zunino, G. Santillan and C. Wisnivesky,2003Toxocara canis in the dog population from two areas of different socioeconomic status, Greater Buenos Aires, Argentina.]]>115275286Sadighian, A.,197056270270Sager, H., C.S. Moret, F. Grimm, P. Deplazes, M.G. Doherr and B. Gottstein,200698333338Urquhart, G.M., J. Armour, J.L Duncan, A.M. Dunn and F.W. Jennings,1996Pages: 286Pages: 286Yacob, H.T., T. Ayele, R. Fikru and A.K. Basu,2007148144148Casella, G. and R.L. Berger,1990pp: 444-445pp: 444-445Yamamoto, N., M. Kon, T. Saito, N. Maeno and M. Koyama et al., 200983223228Sowemimo, O.A.,2009832731Sharif, M., M. Nasrolahei, S.P. Ziapour, S. Gholami, H. Ziaei, A. Daryani and A. Khalilian,2007816366