title: [Parasites of zoonotic importance in dog feces collected in parks and public squares of the city of Los Angeles, Bío-Bío, Chile].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The contamination of public squares and parks with dog feces poses a risk to the population, since it may contain parasitic elements of zoonotic importance.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify human pathogenic parasites in samples of dog feces collected from parks and public squares.
  
  
  METHODS
  452 fecal dog samples collected from 65 squares and public parks were analyzed using the technique of Burrows.
  
  
  RESULTS
  60% (39/65) of the samples contained some parasitic forms with a zoonotic potential. Parasitic taxa with zoonotic risk were Toxocara sp., Ancylostoma sp., Dipylidium caninum, Giardia sp., Taenia sp., Toxascaris sp., Strongyloides sp., and Uncinaria sp.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The detected parasites present a risk to human health, so it seems necessary to implement health education activities in the community, develop deworming plans, and control the canine overpopulation.
authors.forename: Álvaro
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Luzio
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Belmar
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Troncoso
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Luzio
authors.forename: Alexis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jara
authors.forename: Ítalo
authors.initials: Í
authors.lastname: Fernández
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002677:Chile; D004285:Dogs / Q000469:parasitology*; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology*; D005872:Giardia / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009348:Nematoda / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D059208:Parasite Load / Q000662:veterinary; D000068316:Parks, Recreational; D010986:Platyhelminths / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000469:parasitology*