Prevalence of Toxocara canis infection in household dogs.

The prevalence of Toxocara canis infection in household dogs was estimated by examining feces from 1,743 dogs aged between 1 month and 15 years old. Fecal samples from 75 (4.3%) of the 1,743 dogs were positive for the eggs of T. canis. The dogs with positive fecal samples ranged from 1 month to 5 years old in age. The infection rate in dogs aged 1 to 6 months old was significantly (p < 0.01) higher than that in dogs aged 7 months to 2 years old or over 3 years old. Indoor dogs aged 1 to 6 months old showed a significantly (p < 0.01) lower prevalence than outdoor dogs of the same age group. With respect to the place of origin of the dogs, those originating from individual households (5.7%) showed (p < 0.05) a higher prevalence as compared to the animals purchased from pet shops/breeding kennels (3.5%). Considering the origin and the living conditions, the prevalence in indoor dogs originating from individual households was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than that in indoor dogs purchased from pet shops/breeding kennels.