Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Toxocara canis Eggs in Dogs in Tripoli, Libya

Studies on toxocariasis in dogs in Tripoli, Libya are limited and little information is available on the prevalence and the risk factors associated with this zoonosis.In this study, the prevalence infection was determined by coprological examination of fecal samples obtained from 110 males and 61 female household dogs with different ages brought to veterinary clinics in Tripoli. The overall prevalence of T. canis eggs in the dogs was 27.5% (47/171). The prevalence decreased significantly with age from 56.7% in age group 1-6 months to 5.5% in age group > 12 months (X2 = 23.8; p < 0.05). The prevalence in dogs that had received anthelmintic treatment (7.8%; 8/102) was significantly lower (X2 = 48.9; p = 0.0001) than in untreated dogs (56.5%; 69/39. The prevalence of T. canis infection in dogs kept in boxes was 37.5% (33/88), significantly at more than that in dogs living in the open (16.9%; 14/83) (X2 = 9.12; p = 0.0025). The prevalence rates of T. canis infection in the four regions of Tripoli ranged between 20.0% and 31.3%. The main risk factors for T.canis infection of dogs were younger age and lack the treatment with anthelmintic. Our findings show a high prevalence of T. canis in household dogs.