Zoonotic importance of parasites in wild dogs caught in the vicinity of Townsville

Abstract

Encroachment of suburban development into previously undeveloped areas fringing Townsville has brought people and wild dogs, which use the area as part of their territory, into frequent contact. Press reports of attacks by dingoes elsewhere have contributed to heightened awareness in the Townsville community of the potential threat of wild dogs to public safety. Concerns have also been raised that such dogs may carry diseases of zoonotic importance or which may infect domestic dogs. No examination of parasites in wild dogs in the Townsville district has previously been made, and relatively little is known about their prevalence elsewhere in Australia.1 To address these issues, several local institutions funded a program to cull wild dogs. This action presented an opportunity to examine the dogs for the presence of parasites and thus permit an assessment of the potential human and animal-health risks they pose. Results are reported in this paper.