Prevalence and management of endo parasitic zoonoses in the Kumasi Zoo, Ghana
Paper Details
Prevalence and management of endo parasitic zoonoses in the Kumasi Zoo, Ghana
Abstract
Contact between human beings and animals on displays at zoos are unavoidable, allowing transmission of parasitic (diseases) zoonosis of all kinds from wild animals to man and domesticated animals and vice-versa. This study investigates prevalence and management of endo-parasitic zoonoses in Kumasi zoo. Freshly voided faecal samples from animals at the zoo were collected with sterilized forceps and kept in sterilized plastic bags. Floatation method for worm egg count was used to count worm eggs. Nine endo-parasitic zoonoses were recorded during the study period with Tapeworm (Dipylidium caninum) recording the highest (37%) number of observation followed by Strongyl (Strongyloides fuelleboni) (25%) and Ascaris (Ascaris lumbricoides) (15%). Strongyl was however, the commonest zoonoses. Prevalence of endo-parasites was highest in primates (25%), followed by carnivores (21%), ungulates (14%) and at similar levels (13%) for reptiles, birds and rodents. Preventive measures against worm infections include providing protective clothing for cage cleaners and animal feeders, whiles occasionally administering prophylactic treatments to animals to reduce infections. Given the relatively high levels of parasite infections in some zoo exhibits, transmission to humans (zoo staff and visitors) may be greatly reduced by regularly screening and de-worming zoo animals alongside setting up structures (including regular education) that focus on minimizing the risks of contracting zoonoses when visiting the zoo.
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Copyright © 2012 by the Authors. This article is an open access article and distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) license.