A disease lurking in Ontario coyotes and foxes is threatening dog owners

PREVENTIVE MEASURES

To break the chain of transmission, dog owners should have their pets screened for parasites at least annually by a veterinarian; treatments are readily available to get rid of the parasite. Owners should also prevent their dogs from eating rodents, which is not as easy as it sounds, hence the regular screening. And after they clean up their pet’s feces, they should thoroughly wash their hands. As for hunters, they should avoid letting their dogs eat the offal from gut piles. In addition to rodents, animals such as elk, deer, sheep and caribou can also become infected by the parasite.

Pet owners should also keep in mind that the parasite’s microscopic eggs can still be present after the infected feces has been discarded. The hardy eggs can survive in temperatures as low as -50°C and as high as 85°C. Therefore, regular handwashing after playing with or patting your dog is also recommended.

It remains unclear how EM reached southern Ontario. One likely source was through the importation of domestic dogs from other countries, since the strain of the organism in the province points to Europe. That’s not to say the disease didn’t arrive from neighbouring Michigan or northern or western Canada, where it was already present. Alberta has confirmed 15 cases in humans since 2013, including 13 dog owners.

Whatever the case, the disease is making inroads into areas where it was never seen before, and it’s impossible to predict where it is going. What we do know is that the invader is in Ontario to stay. Concludes Jonathon Kotwa, lead researcher in the University of Guelph study: “Transmission of E. multilocularis tapeworms should be considered a public health risk.”

Read a summary of the University of Guelph report at www.outdoorcanada.ca/emthreat.