Survey of zoonotic pathogens in dogs and cats coordinating with public animal shelter in Niigata Prefecture, Japan

This study aimed to investigate the recent prevalence of intestinal parasites and enteric bacterial pathogen (diarrheagenic Escherichia coli, Salmonella sp., Yersinia sp., Campylobacter sp.) in companion animals in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. From May to December each of 2015 and 2016, fecal samples were collected from 136 dogs and 176 cats in Niigata public animal shelters and were examined parasitologically and bacteriologically in Niigata prefectural institute of public health and environmental sciences. Overall, the prevalence of intestinal parasites in dogs and cats were 3.7% and 42.0%, and of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli were 19.1 % and 15.3%, respectively. In dogs, Spirometra erinaceieuropaei (2.9%), Pharyngostomum cordatum (0.7%), and Cytoisospora canis (0.7%) were detected of intestinal parasites. Eae positive E.coli (10.3%), astA positive E.coli (8.1%), Campylobacter sp. (1.5%), eae-astA positive E.coli (0.7%), and eae-astA-bfpA positive E.coli (0.7%) were detected of enteric bacterial pathogen. However, in cats, Toxocara cati was the most prevalent parasite species (31.3%), followed by S.erinaceieuropaei (10.2%), C.felis (6.3%), and Ancylostoma tubaeforme (5.7%). Eae positive E.coli (11.4%), astA positive E.coli (4.5%), eae-bfpA positive E.coli (1.1%), and eae-astA positive E.coli (0.6%) were detected of bacteria. Epidemiologically, it is suggested that parasitic infection is related to the condition of animals, such as captured, bred outdoors, and bred in large-scale. Although some Escherichia coli strains with virulence gene were isolated, these strains were possibly indigenous bacterium in dogs and cats. These data will be useful resources for the dissemination and awareness raising of public health about keeping animals. This study also suggests that research about zoonotic pathogens in shelter animals, sharing the role between shelters and laboratory, as for the former, specimen collection, the latter are examination, will be a useful model for surveillance of zoonotic diseases.