A walk on the wild side: A review of the epidemiology of Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati in wild hosts.

ABSTRACT: Toxocara species are cosmopolitan nematode parasites of companion, domestic and wild hosts. Of the 26 known species of Toxocara, only Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati are definitively zoonotic. The significance of wild carnivores as definitive hosts of T. canis and T. cati respectively, has received far less attention compared to domestic dogs and cats. Complex environmental changes have promoted increasing contact between wildlife, domestic animals and humans that can enhance the risk of pathogen spillover. This review lists a total of 19 species of wild canid host that have been shown to act as definitive hosts for T. canis and a total of 21 species of wild felid host. In general, the number of publications focusing on

SUBMITTER: Holland CV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10641444 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature