The frequency of intestinal parasites in puppies from Mexican kennels

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the intestinal parasite prevalence in puppies from six different kennels;four kennels were in Guadalajara and Zapopan cities (Jalisco State) and two kennels were in Mexico City. From October 2006 to November 2007, we collected 441 fecal samples from 147 puppies, both male and female, ranging from 1 to 36 months of age. Three samples from every puppy were analyzed by using the Faust technique. The prevalence found were as follows: Giardia intestinalis (genotype A and B) 6.8%;Cystoisospora 21.08%;Uncinaria 7.48%;Toxocara canis 12.29% and multiparasitism (Giardia, Toxocara and Uncinaria) 4.76%. The highest prevalence for both Giardia and Cystoisospora were found in 2-3- month-old puppies;the highest prevalence for Toxocara canis was found in 3-4-month-old puppies. In the kennels of Mexico City we found mainly Giardia intestinalis, Cystoisospora to be most prevalent in Zapopan and Toxocara canis in Guadalajara. The high prevalence of intestinal parasites found in this study demonstrates an increased risk for infection in humans, as these animals are usually a common pet in many homes. This zoonotic phenomenon represents an important health problem for any community.