Table 3.
Potential risk factors and clinical signs reported in the survey study: in all enrolled dogs, and in the dogs that were positive or negative for Angiostrongylus vasorum infection
| Category | All dogs (n = 1623) |
Dogs positive for A. vasorum (n = 198) |
Dogs negative for A. vasorum (n = 1425) |
Fisher’s exact test | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | % | n | % | n | % | Pa/p-valueb | |
| Risk factors | |||||||
| History of eating snails/frogs | 1001 | 61.7 | 117 | 59.1 | 884 | 62.0 | 0.0449/0.4360 |
| Active hunting dog | 411 | 25.3 | 56 | 28.3 | 355 | 24.9 | 0.0404/0.3373 |
| Foxes seen in the area | 1437 | 88.5 | 184 | 92.9 | 1253 | 87.9 | 0.0104/0.0422 |
| Previous history or ongoing A. vasorum infection in household | 162 | 10.0 | 39 | 19.7 | 123 | 8.6 | 4.24×10−6/< 0.0001 |
| Clinical signs | |||||||
| Coughing | 812 | 50.0 | 115 | 58.1 | 697 | 48.9 | 0.0033, 0.0185 |
| Dyspnea | 358 | 22.1 | 61 | 30.8 | 297 | 20.8 | 0.0006/0.0024 |
| Tachypnoea | 290 | 17.9 | 48 | 24.2 | 242 | 17.0 | 0.0039/0.0171 |
| Increased lung sounds at auscultation or crackles | 356 | 21.9 | 79 | 39.9 | 277 | 19.4 | 4.36×10−10/< 0.0001 |
| Bleeding disorder | 84 | 5.2 | 31 | 15.7 | 53 | 3.7 | 1.27×10−9/< 0.0001 |
| Pale mucous membranes | 160 | 9.9 | 54 | 27.3 | 106 | 7.4 | 1.73×10−14/< 0.0001 |
| Petechiae or ecchymosis | 55 | 3.4 | 25 | 12.6 | 30 | 2.1 | 3.42×10−10/< 0.0001 |
| Exercise intolerance | 449 | 27.7 | 100 | 50.5 | 349 | 24.5 | 1.62×10−13/< 0.0001 |
| Syncope | 48 | 3.0 | 15 | 7.6 | 33 | 2.3 | 0.0002/0.0003 |
| Seizure | 44 | 2.7 | 11 | 5.6 | 33 | 2.3 | 0.0087/0.0164 |
| Tremor | 51 | 3.1 | 11 | 5.6 | 40 | 2.8 | 0.0224/0.0484 |
| Blindness | 20 | 1.2 | 5 | 2.5 | 15 | 1.1 | 0.0591/0.0862 |
| Thoracic radiographic or ultrasonographic signs | 159 | 9.8 | 54 | 27.3 | 105 | 7.4 | 1.27×10−14/< 0.0001 |
| Diarrhea | 145 | 8.9 | 13 | 6.6 | 132 | 9.3 | 0.0516/0.2338 |
| Vomiting | 156 | 9.6 | 26 | 13.1 | 130 | 9.1 | 0.0208/0.0930 |
| Laboratory abnormalitiesc | 179 | 11.0 | 54 | 27.3 | 125 | 8.8 | 3.44×10−12/< 0.0001 |
| Other signsd | 104 | 6.4 | 34 | 17.2 | 70 | 4.9 | 7.16×10−9/< 0.0001 |
aP = the hypergeometric probability for the observed table (risk factor × A. vasorum status) for the Fisher’s exact test
bTwo-sided p-value for Fisher’s exact test
cAnemia, leukocytosis, thrombocytopenia, eosinophilia, hyperglobulinemia
dOther signs included weight loss, inappetence, lethargy, ascites, melena, sneezing, heart murmur and other neurological signs not listed in the table
Note: P-values in bold font indicate significant differences between positive and negative animals