Introduction:

Urban growth in Colombia accompanied by an increase in the acquisition of pets generates a potential risk of the appearance of zoonotic diseases.

Objective:

To explore the hygiene and coexistence habits associated with the presence of the zoonotic gastrointestinal parasite in canine owners. Materials and methods: A crosssectional study was carried out in a group of 50 people that owned parasitized canines in a veterinary clinic of Pasto (Colombia). A serial copro-parasitological study was performed to the owners of these animals, and a questionnaire about demographic characteristics, hygiene habits and coexistence habits with their canine pets was applied. The data obtained were analyzed with a ji2 independence test and prevalence ratio. Those variables that showed association with the presence of parasitism (p value >0,2) were added to a multivariate model.

Results:

The prevalence of parasitism among the owners of the pets was 30%. The most common parasite was Ascaris spp (18%). Statistically, a significant association was found between the presence of parasites in the owners, not sanitizing their hands and interacting with different species of animals.

Discussion:

The study participants showed having healthy hygiene habits regarding food handling and hand washing after multiple tasks, and they agreed to maintain a close contact with their dogs through gaming and petting. Handwashing was not always followed by the use of disinfectants that could control the parasitic charge. Coexistence with other specimens extends possible routes of transmission through environmental contamination.

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