Canine faecal contamination and parasitic risk in the city of Bologna

INTRODUCTION. Canine faecal contamination of urban areas represents an important public-health problem. The aim of this study was to evaluate the degree of both canine faecal pollution and presence of canine parasitic elements in the city of Bologna, with particular attention to the Bolognina district, where a previous similar experience was done. MATERIALS AND METHODS. The methods used in the previous study (Martini and Cassani,1984, Ann. Ist. Super. Sanità, 20:291-296) were employed to evaluate the canine faecal contamination of Bolognina district after more than 35 years, following a 6.2 km route structured in the middle of the quarter, for 12 times in a year. The centre of Bologna was also examined, dividing the overall area included in the circular avenue in 6 sub-areas. A sampling was performed just once in each sub-area, following a continuous route including the highest number of streets, for a total of 50.14 km. All the faeces found were collected and submitted to qualitative microscopic analysis by centrifugation-flotation technique. For each sample, a form was filled to specify date, time, address of the findings and some characteristics (weather in previous days, type of road, location, fresh state, aspect, presumed dog size, traces of trampling). All the data were reported in a Geographical Information System (QGIS 2.18) and on Excel datasheet (v. 2016). RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS. A total of 228 faecal samples was collected, of which 192 from Bolognina district (daily faecalization level: 2.6 faeces/km) and 36 from Bologna centre (total faecalization level: 0.7 faeces/km). A part of collected faeces was dried and traces of trampling were found in both areas. The prevalence of faeces attributed to large dogs resulted significantly higher in samples collected in Bolognina (17.19%), respect to the centre of city (2.78%) (χ² y = 3,89; p< 0.05). In Martini and Cassani study (1984 l.c.), 2204 faeces were found in 10 months following the same route in Bolognina (daily faecalization level: 35.5 faeces/km). Comparing this value with our results, we can observe that the faecalization of the area decreased during past decades. Only two faecal samples (0.88%) were positive for parasitic elements, both from Bolognina district: eggs of Trichuris vulpis were found in both and Ancylostomatidae in one of them. The faecalization level and the presence of canine parasitic elements in the centre of Bologna and in Bolognina district, are lower compared to other studies (Poglayen et al., 2000, parassitologia, 42 (suppl1):220; Rinaldi et al., 2006, BMC Vet. Res. 2: 29; Zanzani et al., 2014, Sc. World J. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/132361, Beraldo et al., 2014, Atti XXVII SoIPa, 258). The low parasites prevalence in this area agree with the results of the diagnostic routine of our lab