Introduction
Dog-borne zoonotic diseases include all the infectious diseases targeting dogs that can be transmitted to humans. Though they present major zoonosis causing a heavy burden upon the human population worldwide, these diseases are mostly neglected as few insufficient scientific research efforts are realized to face it (WHO, 2007b).
Several examples of zoonosis are present with high prevalence up to time, such as bovine tuberculosis, brucellosis, cystic echinococcosis, visceral leishmani- osis, rabies [1], especially in the developing and North African countries in the poorest and most marginalized regions, in rural areas. Some of these diseases share the same definitive host represented by the dog. Especially hydatid cyst disease, which is endemic to hyper-endemic in agricultural countries in Europe, North, East and South Africa, South and North America, the Middle East and Asia [2-6]. Morocco is one of these highly endemic countries [7, 8].The hydatid cyst, or Cystic echinococcosis, is caused by a small tapeworm parasite of canids, Echinococcus granulosus, which is then transmitted to humans via dogs. It has been reported in numerous reports that the incidence of the disease has increased in various parts of the world [9]. In Morocco for example, the annual incidence is 5.2 cases/100,000 inhabitants [10]. For this reason, several studies have been carried out in the world and in Morocco to evaluate chemoprevention in dogs in order to truncate the parasite cycle and reduce the incidence of the disease.
Hence, the purpose of this chapter is to compile recent data regarding the identification of the main source of infestation in dogs and the determination of the prevalence of infestation. As the canine population varies considerably from one region to another, like everywhere else in the world, in Morocco there are approximately 18,000 owned dogs and 3,000 stray dogs in endemic areas. A high prevalence of E. granulosus infestation in dogs has been recorded in these regions, estimated at 3.6% in Oulmes, 19.6% in Sidi Kacem and 23.7% in the Middle Atlas. This makes it possible to put the spotlight on the dog as the main reservoir and vector of this disease. Therefore, the risk of exposure is higher in stray dogs with access to rural slaughterhouses than in owned dogs, which is complicated to control. Hence, it is urgent the need for a very appropriate and regular chemoprevention program in dogs [7, 11].
2.