Occurrence of zoonotic parasites in feces collected in dog parks (Parcão) in the municipality of Taubaté, São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

With the increase in the number of domesticated dogs in Brazil, several municipalities have created areas for these animals to live together, known as “Parcão”, which offer different benefits, but can also be conducive environments for contamination by enteroparasites and for the transmission of zoonoses. The study aimed to evaluate the presence of zoonotic parasites in fecal samples from dogs that frequent “Dog Parks” in Taubaté, SP, in addition to comparing the effectiveness and sensitivity of the Willis, Ritchie and Faust methods for the detection of intestinal helminths and protozoa. To this end, in the second half of 2022 and the first half of 2023, a total of 120 fecal samples were collected in two dog parks in the municipality, which were sent under refrigeration to the Parasitology Laboratory of the University of Taubaté to be submitted to the methods of Willis, Faust and modified Ritchie, and subsequent reading in optical microscopy. Of the analyzed samples, 19.16% were positive for some helminth, without the detection of protozoa, with a prevalence of monoparasitism being observed, corresponding to 95.65% (p<0.0001). Furthermore, a significant predominance of Ancylostoma spp. (χ2/p<0.0001) in relation to the other verified parasites. The Willis technique was more effective in diagnosing Ancylostoma spp., although without statistically significant differences compared to the other methods. This study highlights the importance of surveillance and preventive measures to mitigate public health risks in dog parks, with collaboration between authorities, researchers and the community essential to ensure a safe environment for dogs and the population.

Keywords: Enteroparasitosis; Coproparasitological examination; Domesticated dogs.