Prevalencia de parásitos gastrointestinales zoonoticos en perros ferales aledaños al relleno sanitario Pichancay de la parroquia Santa Ana

Abstract

The objective of this study was to establish the prevalence of zoonotic gastrointestinal parasites in feral dogs captured at the Pichacay Landfill for four months in 2021 in the rural parish of Santa Ana in the Cuenca canton, Azuay province - Ecuador. Sampling was carried out on 50 feral dogs, 17 males, and 33 females, without exclusion criteria due to their feral condition, distributed in June (15 dogs), July (10 dogs), August (15 dogs), and September (15 dogs). The capture was carried out from 10:00 pm to 05:00 am the following day; during this time, the cages were checked at 11:00 pm, 02:00 am, and 05:00 am. Three cages were used with two systems to capture: suspended barrier and removed barriers from the floor to activate the mechanism and close the gate. After capture, the dogs were sedated, and their physiological constants such as temperature, capillary refill time, heart rate, and respiratory rate were assessed. Fecal samples were taken directly from the rectum. The samples were transported under refrigeration to be processed in the clinical laboratory by direct flotation and sedimentation methods. The results showed that 100% of the feral dogs presented various zoonotic gastrointestinal parasites, the most prevalent being Ancylostoma sp 92.00%, Toxocara canis 90.66%, and Coccidia 86.66%, and Giardia spp 2%, with no difference between females and males. The canines showed no visible clinical signs of parasite infestation. Keywords: Prevalence, parasitosis, canines, zoonosis