Eleven years of retrospective screening reveal rare occurrence of zoonotic Strongyloides stercoralis in dogs from temperate Australia (2014-2024)

Strongyloides stercoralis is an intestinal nematode capable of infecting humans and dogs. Despite its zoonotic potential, its occurrence in dogs from temperate, traditionally non-endemic regions remains poorly characterised, largely due to the absence of widely accessible veterinary diagnostic tests. This study investigated the presence of S. stercoralis DNA in canine faecal samples from Sydney, Australia. A total of 451 archived canine faecal DNA samples collected between 2014 and 2024 from two university veterinary hospitals were screened.