Prevalence of zoonotic intestinal parasites in domiciled dogs living in the urban area of Alfenas, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Companion animals can carry pathogens that cause many infectious diseases in humans. In this sense, the present study aims to analyse the prevalence of zoonotic intestinal parasites in domiciled dogs living in the urban area of Alfenas, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, from February 2017 to July 2018. To collect data, four regions of the city were considered as strata and their respective neighbourhoods as conglomerates, and one neighbourhood per stratum was selected. Stool samples were collected from 336 domiciled dogs and processed using the spontaneous sedimentation technique. The dog owners filled a questionnaire with information on the animals' living conditions. The parasites identified were Ancylostoma sp. and Toxocara canis, with higher prevalence of the former in male dogs, and of the latter in female dogs. Dogs of defined breed, small size, and age >1 year old exhibited the highest infection rates. To teach concepts of parasite transmission and prevention, the researchers developed educational actions with 6- to 10-year-old children who studied at schools from the selected neighbourhoods, as well as distributed informative folders to the dog owners. Laboratory tests confirmed the presence of potentially zoonotic intestinal parasites in 2.98% of the domiciled dogs living in Alfenas. Insufficient administration of deworming drugs (p=0.018) was the risk factor that significantly correlated with the occurrence of parasitic infection in the studied dog population. Educational actions favoured adoption of personal hygiene habits and good animal care practices to promote dog health and welfare and human health.