Dipylidium caninum is a parasite that commonly infects dogs and cats worldwide. The large population of wild and stray dogs and cats may potentially transmit D. caninum to humans via their flea and lice. Humans are an accidental host, and dipylidiasis is more commonly seen in infants and children. There is scant information about human dipylidiasis in Russia. We report nine cases of dipylidiasis - eight in children and one in an adult. The patients were asymptomatic, except for excreting active proglottids in their faeces, which was the most common complaint. The clinical significance of asymptomatic dipylidiasis is not understood, except mothers were anxious because of the continuous appearance of active worms in the faeces of their children. The patients were successfully treated with praziquantel (15 mg/kg). Preventing dipylidiasis in pets and humans requires the control of fleas and lice, avoiding the outdoor defecation of definitive hosts, deworming pets, preventing children from playing with stray animals and spread of information about dipylidiasis among pet owners. Dogs and cats in many places in Russia breed freely, defecate outdoors in any area, and are not subjected to deworming and insect control. These circumstances favour the fact that, although this zoonosis is rare, it is a re-emerging disease and might reach important levels in Russia.
Canine demodicosis is a common skin disorder with multiple risk factors, including age and breed predisposition. There is relatively limited information about the risk factors for canine demodicosis in large canine populations. This retrospective case-control study was conducted by searching the electronic records of dogs with skin lesions for the presence of Demodex mites in skin scrapings. Diagnosis of demodicosis was based on the presence of skin lesions and mites in skin scrapings. Multivariate analysis was conducted using logistic regression analysis to estimate the relative risk and odds ratio of variables hypothesized to influence the risk of canine demodicosis, such as age, sex, breed, season, and parasitic infection. The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed a positive correlation between the dogs' age and demodicosis. Dogs older than three years, as well as puppies, had a high risk of demodicosis (P0.05). Breeds with the greatest association (odds ratio) with demodicosis included the American Staffordshire Terrier (OR=0.9) and Moscow Watchdog (OR=0.2). The presence of intestinal parasites, such as Diphyllobothrium latum, was significantly associated with demodicosis.