الفهرس 
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Abstract
This study was carried out in Cairo, Giza and Beni-Suef Governorates, Egypt, in the period between May 2013 and May 2015 in order to determinate the role of pet dogs and cats in transmission of zoonotic internal parasites to humans, with reference to the risk factors that influenced the prevalence of infection in both animals and humans.
Firstly, a total number of 720 fecal samples (395 from pet dogs, 180 from pet cats, and 145 from humans) were collected, and then investigated in the Department of Hygiene, Management and Zoonoses, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Beni-Suef University.
Pet animals under investigation were divided according to the origin of animal rearing into; household pets, and outdoor pets which were also classified into 3 categories: Department of Training Security and Guard Dogs- Police Academy, Cairo, a private dog farm, and pet shops.
Special questionnaires were used and data were collected from the pet owners and workers. Fecal samples were collected from the examined animals, labeled, numbered and preserved using formalin 10% or ethanol 70% and finally transported to the laboratory for examination.
Flotation centrifugation technique using different solutions as saturated salt solution and sheather’s solution plus formol ether solution were done in order to extract the eggs, cysts and oocysts of different helminths and protozoa, as well as staining using MZN to identify Cryptosporidium spp.
The obtained results showed that the overall prevalence of canine fecal samples was 25.82 % at higher rate (34.55%) in outdoor dogs than household ones (14.86%). Helminthic eggs of T. canis (0.25%), T. vulpis (2.53%), T. leonina (7.34%), plus protozol cysts and oocysts of Giardia spp. (0.51%), E. histolytica/dispar (5.06%), and Cryptosporidium spp. (10.13%) were the main parasitic recovery.
Age, gender, breed, health condition, housing, feeding, and anthelmintic status were the main risk factors that influenced the parasitic prevalence in the studied pet dogs and cats.
Young aged dogs (1-6 months) showed the highest prevalence of infection (57.14%) when compared with other age categories. Comparable rates of infection were determined in both dog genders as males showed (22.77%) and females (29.02%). According to health status of the animal, diarrheic dogs were found to be of higher parasitic infection (53.0%) than asymptomatic ones (16.61%).
Rottweiler canine breed represented the highest one among all breeds. Pet dogs fed under cooked feed were of extreme parasitic infection (82.5%). Also, regular anthelmintic treatment decreased the prevalence of intestinal parasites (8.63%).
Positive Cryptosporidium spp. samples for MZN were further subjected to molecular analysis. Two step-nested PCR using COWP gene that followed by RFLP analysis exhibited the presence of (C. parvum) in dog fecal samples especially of the Police Academy ones.
Shifting to feline fecal samples, the overall prevalence of intestinal parasites was 21.11%, with Cryptosporidium spp. of the highest recovery rate (6.67%) and T. gondii of the lowest (0.56%).
Female cats showed higher rate of parasitic occurrence (25.0%) than the males (18.0%). A percent of 38.0% was found to be the highest parasitic prevalence among older cats (>1y - 3y). Concerning, the breed influence, it was informed that Baladi cat breed was higher in infection rate 53.85% of infection than other breeds.
Secondly, 145 stool samples were collected from humans. Individuals chosen for this study were either pet owners (n=100) or pet workers (n=45).
Personal questionnaires were filled out by the individuals, with the results of the parasitological investigation showed that the overall prevalence of enteric parasites among humans was 31.03%, with the highest rate of infection (60.0%) was detected in children of young ages 5-10 years.
Finally, this study discussed in details, the public health importance of internal parasites of zoonotic importance transmitted mainly from pet animals to humans with clarification of the significant risk factors influenced their prevalence among both animals and humans.