Despite the persistent social and economic inequalities (e.g., unequal access to education, health care and sanitation, safe drinking water and decent housing), which have become the dark side of the Brazilian history, the importance of dogs and cats as pets, as well as the demand for high standard veterinary services, has increased over the last decades in Brazil. īrazil is a country with continental dimensions (i.e., 8,515,767 km 2), occupying most of the land area of South America and representing the largest economy in the region. This fact emphasizes the need for a One Health approach towards a more efficient management and control of these parasites. For instance, Toxoplasma gondii, Dipylidium caninum, Echinococcus granulosus, Ancylostoma braziliense, Toxocara canis, Onchocerca lupi, and Thelazia callipaeda are common parasites of dogs and cats that can affect humans in different countries around the world. The benefits of having a pet animal are undisputed, but both dogs and cats may harbour many parasites potentially transmissible to humans, which may represent a health risk, especially to children, the elderly and the immunocompromised. Moreover, in many developing countries, both dogs and cats have become part of human families, regardless of the social class (Figure 1). Nowadays, dogs for example have assumed many functions as guides for blind people, as therapeutic agents, as guard and hunting dogs. Ectoparasites may also be classified as permanent (e.g., lice and mites) or non-permanent (e.g., ticks and mosquitoes), depending on the relationship with their host i.e., whether their life cycle takes place solely on their hosts or also in the environment.ĭogs and cats are the most popular pet animals worldwide. They may be generally subdivided as endoparasites (=internal) and ectoparasites (=external), according to their location in the host. Incidentally, parasites constitute a diverse group of organisms that may affect a wide range of animal hosts, including amphibians, birds, fishes, mammals, and reptiles. But in parasitology, a parasite is an organism that takes benefit from another (the host), without giving something back and usually causing some damage to it. In the figurative sense, corrupt politicians that make the use their political power and public resources for their own benefit may be called parasites of society. The word “parasite” (from Ancient Greek, parasitos: para = beside, sitos = food) means literally a person that eats at the table of another. Practical aspects related to the diagnosis, treatment, and control of parasitic diseases of dogs and cats in Brazil are discussed. This article is a compendium on dog and cat parasites in Brazil and a call for a One Health approach towards a better management of some of these parasites, which may potentially affect humans.
In addition, some of them (e.g., Lynxacarus radovskyi on cats and Rangelia vitalii in dogs) are little known to most veterinary practitioners working in Brazil. In fact, several dog and cat parasites (e.g., Toxoplasma gondii, Dipylidium caninum, Ancylostoma caninum, Strongyloides stercoralis, and Toxocara canis) are important not only from a veterinary perspective but also from a medical standpoint. While some dog and cat parasites are highly host-specific (e.g., Aelurostrongylus abstrusus and Felicola subrostratus for cats, and Angiostrongylus vasorum and Trichodectes canis for dogs), others may easily switch to other hosts, including humans.
These may include endoparasites (e.g., protozoa, cestodes, trematodes, and nematodes) and ectoparasites (i.e., fleas, lice, mites, and ticks). Dogs and cats in Brazil serve as primary hosts for a considerable number of parasites, which may affect their health and wellbeing.
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