Parasites of dogs and cats imported to Iceland during 1989 – 2017 with remarks on parasites occurring in the native populations

Abstract

Importing dogs into Iceland was prohibited or restricted from 1909 until 1989, when the ban was lifted and importing dogs and cats permitted, with the proviso of an enforced period of quarantine and the requirement of specific medical treatments and examinations. Prior to importation pets must be treated against cestodes and external parasites. From 1989 until the end of 2017, a total of 3822 dogs and 900 cats were imported from 67 countries from all continents of the world, except Antarctica. Routine examinations for endoparasites revealed one or more species in 10.6% of the dogs and 4.2% of the cats. In spite of the required treatment, ectoparasites were detected on 0.2% of the dogs and 0.2% of the cats. Eighteen endoparasite species and six ectoparasite species have been identified from imported pets. Six species (one nematode, five ectoparasites) are believed to have been introduced to native dogs or cats with imported animals that were apparently still infected/infested when they left quarantine and were handed over to the owners. Three of them are believed to have been eliminated after a temporary local occurrence, but two or three species of mites have become permanently resident.

Innflutningur hunda til Íslands var bannaður nema með sérstakri undanþágu á árunum 1909 til 1989. Þá var banninu aflétt og innflutningur hunda og katta leyfður að uppfylltum skilyrðum um dvöl í einangrunarstöð, heilbrigðisskoðun og ákveðnar lyfjameðhöndlanir. Þá eru gerðar kröfur um lyfjameðhöndlun gegn bandormum og ytri sníkjudýrum fyrir komu dýranna til landsins. Frá 1989 fram til ársloka 2017 voru 3822 hundar og 900 kettir fluttir til landsins. Dýrin hafa komið frá 67 löndum í öllum heimsálfum. Leit að innsníklum leiddi í ljós eina eða fleiri tegundir sníkjudýra í 10,6% hunda og 4,2% katta, óværa hefur fundist við komuna til landsins á 0,2% hunda og 0,2% katta. Alls hafa 18 tegundir innri sníkjudýra og sex tegundir óværu fundist í eða á innfluttum gæludýrum. Talið er að sex þeirra (þráðormur og fimm óværutegundir) hafi borist yfir í innlenda hunda eða ketti með gæludýrum sem enn voru smituð þegar einangrunarvist lauk. Tvær eða þrjár tegundanna virðast hafa náð fótfestu á Íslandi en talið er að tekist hafi að útrýma þremur þeirra.