PUBLIC HEALTH IMPORTANCE OF ENTERIC PARASITOSIS IN CAPTIVE CARNIVORA

Document Type : Research article

Abstract

Studies on enteric parasites in Carnivora in the zoo were carried out in Giza zoological gardens. Fecal samples from 81 different species of varnivores in the zoo were freshly collected individually in clean plastic bags, also faecal samples from their 12 attendants were collected. The direct wet mount, the flotation technique with sugar and zinc sulfate, the sedimentation technique as well as the staining method using the modified Ziehl-neelsen method were adopted for microscopic examination. The results of faecal examination from carnivora revealed Giardia lamblia cysts in 4.94%, Cryptopsoridia oocysts in 7.41% and Toxascaris leonina eggs in 8.64%, Likewise, examination of faecal samp < /strong>les from attendants revealed that 16.6% from them were infected with Ascaris lumbricoides eggs, 0.33% with Enterobius vermicularis eggs, 25% with Giardia lamblia cysts, 0.33% with Entamoeba coli cysts, 25% with Entamoeba histolytica cysts and 41.7% with Cryptosporidia oocysts. Experimental infection with Giardia, Cryptosporidia and toxascaris were conducted in susceptible mice to prove the zoonotic importance of such parasites being transmitted to man.

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