Advances in Animal and Veterinary Sciences Review Article Companion Animals: A Potential Threat in Emergence and Transmission of Parasitic Zoonoses 1* 2 3 MAGUDESWARA MOORTHI SENTHIL MURUGAN , KANDASAMY ARUNVIKRAM , SELVARAJ PAVULRAJ , 4 1 1 AROCKIASAMY ARUN PRINCE MILTON ,DHARMENDRA KUMAR SINHA , BHOJ RAJ SINGH 1Division of Epidemiology; 2Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology; 4Division of Veterinary Public Health, IC- AR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly (UP)–243122, India; 3Equine Pathology Laboratory, ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines (ICAR-NRCE), Hisar, Haryana-125001, India. Abstract | Recent emergence of zoonotic-parasitic diseases in humans are due to evolution of microbes or parasites with alterations of host ranges, vector system, infectivity, virulence and/or re-occurrence of an unreported infection. Al- though, zoonotic parasitic diseases of companion animal origin are very familiar and deliberately studied in American and European countries, they are under prioritized areas of human health concern in developing countries like India. Circumstances prevailing in developing countries are favourable for easy and diffuse transmission and surfacing of zoonotic parasitic infections viz. toxoplasmosis, giardiasis, toxacariasis, echinoccosis, leishmaniasis, etc. However, with the implementations of personal hygiene and sanitary measures, appearance and spread of such zoonotic parasitic in- fections from companion animals can be prevented. Pet owners must be educated in a right way about the potential zo- onotic risks, mode of transmission of these infections from their pets. It has been concluded that veterinarians need to play an immense role in educating and creating awareness on transmission and prevention of companion animal zoon- oses in humans. This review discusses about the common parasitic zoonoses of companion animals. The primary focus of this review is mostly about canine and feline parasitic zoonoses that were the major threat in the developing nations. Keywords | Companion animals, Zoonoses, Emergence, Parasitic infections, Transmission Editor | Kuldeep Dhama, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Uttar Pradesh, India. Received | April 14, 2015; Revised | April 17, 2015; Accepted | September 18, 2015; Published | October 21, 2015 *Correspondence | Magudeswara Moorthi Senthil Murugan, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, India; Email: [email protected] Citation | Murugan MMS, Arunvikram K, Pavulraj S, Milton AAP, Sinha DK, Singh BR (2015). Companion animals: A potential threat in emergence and transmission of parasitic zoonoses. Adv. Anim. Vet. Sci. 3(11): 594-604. DOI | http://dx.doi.org/10.14737/journal.aavs/2015/3.11.594.604 ISSN (Online) | 2307-8316; ISSN (Print) | 2309-3331 Copyright © 2015 Murugan et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. INTRODUCTION ated risks with pets (Milton et al., 2015; Saminathan et al., 2015). But, various ranges of infections and infestations, et animals play a significant role in societies all over the including bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic diseases, are world. They are vital companions in numerous house- in a way of being transmitted to humans from pets (Plant Pholds, contributing to the social, physical, mental and emo- et al., 1996; Geffray, 1999). Zoonoses and diseases due to tional development of kids, and owners in particularly aged parasites are often underappreciated. It leads to diseases people (Zasloff, 1994; Jennings, 1997). They are considered and cause may be managed inappropriately or gone undi- as one of the family member in the home. When we know agnosed (Paul et al., 2010). The possible health hazard to the benefits of the association between human and ani- man due to GI parasites harbored by pet animals leaves a mals, we should also concern about the spread of diseas- major crisis in different parts of the earth (Schantz, 1994). es from them (Paul et al., 2010). Furthermore, pet owners Zoonotic parasitic diseases spread to humans by ingestion stopover their physician less often, use less medication and of infectious intermediate stages viz. oocysts, cysts, spores, have lesser blood pressure and cholesterol levels with cool ova, larva or larval stages or by consumption of raw or un- mind than those do not have pets in their home (Headey, dercooked meat with infective stages in tissues (Milton 1999). It has been documented that health risks viz., bites et al., 2015). Humans may act as final, intermediate, pa- of animals and skin-allergy are the common health associ- ratenic or accidental hosts in the life cycle of the parasite. NE US Academic Publishers November 2015 | Volume 3 | Issue 11 | Page 594 Advances in Animal and Veterinary Sciences The common and rare parasitic zoonoses associated with socio-economically underprivileged communities with the companion animals and the agents causing the disease in low levels of sanitation and hygiene, over-crowding ever humans are discussed in Table 1 and 2, respectively, and growing population, deficient of veterinary attention and exotic companion animal parasitic zoonoses are discussed potential zoonotic awareness, aggravates the chances for in Table 3. zoonotic disease transmissions (Schantz, 1991). The sur- veillance and control of zoonotic diseases of canines in PARASITIC ZOONOSES IN INDIA India is unprioritized in disparity to other human health harms with huge of morbidity, mortality and case fatality, It has been predicted that more than 19.2 million mongrel like HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other childhood dogs are there in India in spite of several control measures diseases (WHO, 2003). Common parasitic zoonoses viz. (WHO, 1996). Countries like India, unrestrained stray hydatid disease from canines (Bhandarkar and Talvalkar, and semi-domesticated canine lives in close association 1973; Bhojraj and Shetty, 1999) and toxocariasis from fe- with growing densities of humans in urban cities. Humans lines (Mirdha and Khokar, 2002; Malla et al., 2002) are spo- frequently have a close association with semi-domesti- radic in nature. In spite of demonstrating strong endemicity cated canines in rural surroundings (Dutta, 2002). These of several parasitic zoonotic diseases (Table 1 and 2) from Table 1: Common parasitic zoonoses from companion animals Disease in com- Parasitic zo- Disease in humans Diagnostic techniques Prevalence References panion animals onotic agent Echinococosis Ecchinococcous Cystic echinococ- Histopathology 6-8% in small Macpherson granuloses cosis ruminants (2003); Romig et al. (2015); Khan et al. (2015) Echinococcus Alveolar echinococ- Microscopy, ELISA for 70% Conraths multilocularis cosis coproantigen detection and and Deplazes copro-DNA detection by PCR (2015) Toxoplasmosis Toxoplasma Congenital and Oc- IgM and IgG ELISA 30-50% in or- Dubey (2010); gondii ular Toxoplasmosis ganic free range Tenter et al. farming (2000) Toxacariasis Toxacara canis, Visceral and Ocular ELISA with Toxocara spp. 2% to 44% in Smith et al. Toxacara cati Larval Migrans excretory-secretory (TES) human, 3.5% to (2009); antigen or Western blot, larva 34% in dogs, 8% Lee et al. (2010) can be detected by ultrasound, to 76% in cats computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imag- ing (MRI) Ancylostomiasis Ancylostoma Cutaneous Larval Microscopy for faecal smear, 14% in dogs Traub et al. caninum Migrans PCR, PCR-RFLP, DNA (2008); sequencing Schantz (1999) Giardiasis Giardia duode- GI disturbances Microscopy for faecal smear 70.5% in human Almeida et al. nalis (centrifugal sedimentation and (2015) centrifugal flotation) Cryptosporid- Cryptosporidum Rare infection Microscopy for faecal smear, Forester et al. iosis parvum DNA Sequencing, immuno- (2010) fluorescence antibody test, PCR Leishmaniasis Leishmania Cutaneous and Microscopy for faecal smear, 42% in dogs Molina et al. infantum Visceral Leishhma- indirect fluorescence antibody (1994); niasis (IFA), enzyme-linked immu- Sharma et al. nosorbent assay (ELISA) or (2003) western blot Dipylliodiosis Dipyllidium Children are af- Microscopy for faecal smear, 16.63% in dogs Zanzani et al. caninum fected enzyme-linked immuno- (2014) sorbent assay (ELISA) or western blot NE US Academic Publishers November 2015 | Volume 3 | Issue 11 | Page 595 Advances in Animal and Veterinary Sciences Table 2: Rare parasitic zoonoses from companion animals Disease Country Etiology Vector / Diagnostic techniques Preva- References source lence Babesiosis USA Babesia canis, Ixodes ricinus Giemsa or Wright’s stained blood Johnson et al. B.conrade smears, UV illumination after staining (2009) with acridine orange, serological tests, PCR Chagas Disease USA Trypanosoma Triatomine Blood smears, serological tests, PCR, 42% in Kjos et al. (American trypa- cruzi bugs ELISA, IFA, immunochromatic tests dogs (2008) nosomiasis) Canine Heart USA Dirofilaria Ctenocephal- Wet blood smear, Knott's method, 4-13% Simon et al. worm immitis ides canis PCR and DNA sequencing techniques in dogs (2012) Paragonimiasis China Paragonimus Crabs, Cray Microscopy of sputum smear, biopsy, 8.3% in Xu et al. (Lung Fluke) westermanii fish pleural fluid, faecal egg. Intradermal cats (2005); (ID) test, complement fixation test Liu et al. (CFT), immunodiffusion, indirect (2008) haemagglutination test (IHA), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), dot-ELISA, and Western blot Clonorchiasis