Are intestinal parasites in dogs an infection risk to children in the same household? An investigation in Cuba.

Background: Zoonotic transmission of intestinal parasites from dogs has been documented, but the extent of such transmission is unclear. This is particularly relevant in low- and middle-income countries, where people share living space with their domestic animals. We investigated whether dog ownership was associated with intestinal parasitoses in children in Cuba.

Methods: Faecal samples were collected from children from 108 households in a rural village in Cuba, of which 66 owned a dog and 42 did not. Samples were also collected from the dogs. Samples were examined for intestinal parasites by microscopy and molecular methods.

Results: The most commonly identified intestinal parasites in children were Giardia duodenalis and Blastocystis spp., occurring significantly more frequently among children with a dog. However, there was no significant association when these parasites were considered separately. Among dogs, the most commonly detected intestinal parasites were Ancylostoma spp. (in 29 dogs; 44%) and Giardia (in 25 dogs; 38%). Although Ancylostoma spp. can be zoonotic, infection in people is not intestinal; cutaneous larval migrans was not evident in these children.

Conclusions: Although our data do not indicate extensive zoonotic transmission of intestinal parasites from dogs, children living in a household with a dog were more likely to be infected with Giardia and/or Blastocystis, than those without dogs.