Prevalence of zoonotic potencial parasites in feces samples collected from public squares and beaches in São Lourenço do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil / Prevalência de parasitos com potencial zoonótico em amostras fecais coletadas de praças e praias públicas de São Lourenço do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil

Abstract

In recent decades there has been a closer relationship between human beings and pets. Although this relationship is beneficial from several points of view, it also poses a risk to public health, as animals can transmit diseases to humans, called zoonoses. Among the main ones we can highlight the parasitic zoonoses, caused by helminths and protozoa, mainly transmitted via fecal-oral. Public squares and beaches are places with potential for the dissemination of parasitic zoonoses, as they are environments for mutual interaction between people and animals. The purpose of this study was to analyze the prevalence of parasites with zoonotic potential in samples of dog feces and sand collected from public squares and beaches in the municipality of São Lourenço do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. 204 samples of canine feces from the environment and 120 samples of sand were collected and submitted to coproparasitological techniques. Of the total, 57.84% of the fecal samples and 21.66% of the analyzed sand samples were contaminated with some parasitic genus. The contamination of the soil of public squares and beaches by parasites with zoonotic potential demonstrates that the population is at risk in these places, with the need to adopt sanitary measures to avoid human infection by zoonoses.