Occurrence of Spirometra mansoni in Domestic Dogs from Rural Ecuador and Its Public Health Relevance

Spirometra mansoni causes sparganosis in humans and spirometrosis in domestic dogs. It is transmitted through the consumption of raw or undercooked meat from fish, frogs or paratenic animals, producing subcutaneous and tissue infections in humans, whereas dogs or cats develop gastrointestinal infections. Sparganosis is a zoonotic parasitosis associated with freshwater aquatic environments, prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The purpose of this investigation was to identify S. mansoni in domestic dogs from riverine sectors of the Daule River in Ecuador, using coproparasitological methods: direct examination, flotation and sedimentation with centrifugation using saline solution (as screening); and for confirmation, morphometric methods and PCR were used. Through a descriptive, prospective and cross-sectional study, 402 domestic dogs were analyzed, and Spirometra mansoni were determined in 67 (16.66%) of the collected samples. The clinical and epidemiological characteristics of spirometrosis in dogs and the potential risk of sparganosis occurring in humans were determined. However, cases may appear in pets from other locations.