Document Type : Al-Qadisiyah Conference 2025

Authors

• Hadeel hadi Albayati ¹
• Noor Idan Jarad ²
• Nuha Qasim Mohammed ³
• Baneen Najm Alhasanawi ⁴

¹ College of Veterinary Medicine University of Al-Qadisiyah Iraq

² Department of Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Al-Qadisiyah University, Iraq

³ Zoonotic disease research unit, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Al-Qadisiyah, Iraq.

⁴ College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Al-Qadisiyah, Iraq

Abstract

Using molecular and microscopic techniques, we assessed the prevalence of Toxocara canis in 270 stray dogs in Southern Iraq between January and June 2025. Season, age, and gender effects on prevalence were noted. Using the fecal flotation approach, we discovered that almost 23% of the men and women were infected, with 23.7% and 22.8% of the cases being identical. In February, when the temperature was about 26°C and the humidity was about 30%, the prevalence reached its highest point at 40%. Compared to adults (15.8%), the incidence was greater (P < 0.05) in younger dogs (34.9%). According to PCR, the identity of T. canis 3 and 4 was 99%, while the prevalence was 58% for 10 isolates that were identical to those obtained in Iran (accession no. KF577855.1). 99% similarity between the 10 isolates' Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS1) regions and reference sequences of T. canis from China (accession no. JF837169.1) was found in the results.

Keywords

• Identification
• Toxocara canis
• Dogs
• PCR
• Iraq