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Fecundity and egg output by Toxocara canis in the red fox, Vulpes vulpes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 February 2017

D.T. Richards  and
J.W. Lewis
D.T. Richards
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 OEX, UK
J.W. Lewis*
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 OEX, UK
*
*Author for correspondence Fax: 0044 1784 470756 E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

The role of the red fox Vulpes vulpes in the dissemination of eggs of Toxocara canis into the environment is considered with reference to female worm fecundity and egg output in the faeces of infected foxes collected from four localities in southern England. A significant positive correlation was found between female worm size and the number of eggs in the uterus but there was no significant relationship between T. canis worm numbers and egg output in fox faeces. Reliable estimates of worm burdens in foxes could not, therefore, be determined from faecal egg counts alone. The highest mean egg output of 2145.0 epg recorded from adult foxes indicated that fox cubs are not necessarily the main sources of environmental contamination with T. canis eggs. Saturated magnesium sulphate was found to be a more effective flotation solution than zinc sulphate and sodium chloride for recovering eggs from fox faecal samples.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Helminthology , Volume 75 , Issue 2 , June 2001 , pp. 157 - 164
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2001

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