Intestinal helminths in dogs and cats on the Antillian Islands Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire.

An investigation into the prevalence, identity and size of population of intestinal helminths in dogs and cats was carried out in the Dutch Antillian Islands, Curaçao, Bonaire and Aruba during April and May 1974. Ninety-one dogs and 83 cats were examined. In all, 4,824 helminths were isolated and identified. The following species were isolated from dogs: Dipylidium caninum (most frequent), Ancylostoma caninum (frequent in Curaçao), Toxocara, Taenia hydatigena and Ancylostoma braziliense. Species isolated from cats: Dipylidium caninum (most frequent) Ancylostoma tubaeforme (frequent in Curaçao), Oncicola canis, Taenia taeniaformis, Spirometra (mansonoides), Platynosomum (fastosum), Toxocara, Trichuris and Thelazia. The man-infecting hookworm species Ancylostoma ceylanicum was not found at all and A. braziliense was only found in dogs in Aruba in light infections. Remarkable differences in the prevalence of parasitic infections were demonstrated between Curaçao and the two other islands Aruba and Bonaire, especially regarding the frequency and worm burden of the hookworms. It was suspected that this was due to the recent increase in the number of dogs in Curaçao.