Vol. 9, Special Issue 10, Part M (2025)

This research aimed to examine the presence of eggs from gastro-intestinal parasites in both stray and household dogs within the Thrissur district of Kerala, with a particular focus on those that pose a risk to humans. A total of 158 stool samples were gathered (91 from stray dogs and 67 from household dogs). The helminth eggs were processed using direct smear methods and centrifugation techniques before being identified through microscopic analysis. Among the examined dogs, 24.8% (n = 48/158) were found to be infected with one or more intestinal parasites. The helminths identified included Dipylidium caninum (n = 19; 10.8%), Toxocara canis (n = 15; 10.3%), Taenia spp. (n = 11; 6.01%), Ancylostoma caninum (n = 4; 5.94%), as well as Toxascaris spp., Capillaria spp., and Trichuris vulpis (n = 3; 2.31% each), listed in order of prevalence. Infection patterns indicated that 37 dogs (67.8%) had single infections while 18 (34.7%) had double infections and one dog (3.43%) had triple infections. Stray dogs exhibited a higher infection rate at 38.4% (n = 38) compared to household dogs at 19.1% (n = 14). The difference in prevalence between these groups was statistically significant (p = 0.0087). This study underscores considerable environmental contamination due to infectious parasitic stages that can affect humans and highlights the urgent need for controlling these parasites as well as educating the public on related health issues concerning pets.