INVESTIGADORES
VIOZZI gustavo Pedro
artículos
Título:
Parasite Infections in an Argentinian Municipal Shelter (Patagonia, Río Negro)
Autor/es:
RITOSSA, LUCIANO; VIOZZI, GUSTAVO; HIGUERA, MILVIA; FLORES, VERÓNICA
Revista:
COMPARATIVE PARASITOLOGY
Editorial:
HELMINTHOLOGICAL SOC WASHINGTON, C/O ALLEN PRESS INC
Referencias:
Año: 2021 vol. 88
ISSN:
1525-2647
Resumen:
Abandonment, irresponsible care, and overpopulation are the main causes of the large number of dogs roaming free in urban areas or living in shelters. These shelters provide temporary homes for dogs that have been lost, abused, or reported for biting, but also provide an environment that could enable the spread of gastrointestinal parasites. The city?s municipal shelter receives dogs throughout the year, feeds them, and the vet checks them before offering them for adoption. This article aims to report on the intestinal parasite infections of municipal shelter dogs from San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina, over three consecutive years. Fecal samples were collected from all shelter dogs during the winters of 2017, 2018, and 2019. The samples were examined using Sheather?s flotation and Ziehl Neelsen stain techniques to detect parasite eggs and coccidia, respectively. Total prevalence values ranged from 32-45%, with a total of six parasite taxa found, including coinfections, with a maximum of two species. Some dogs seemed to become infected during their stay in the shelter, and despite periodic deworming, some dogs were still parasitized. Zoonotic parasites like Toxocara canis, Toxascaris leonina, and Dibothriocephalus latus were found in this study. Thus, such shelter dogs may act as disseminators of transmission stages of zoonotic parasites. This work emphasizes the importance of raising awareness on the responsible care of companion animals in order to prevent the need for shelter care