Background: Toxocariasis is one of the most common zoonotic helminth parasitic infections with public health and economic importance, which is mostly caused by Toxocara canis. The present study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Toxocara species egg in owned dogs as a risk for transmission to humans in Shahrekord County.
Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study، 260 faecal samples of owned dogs in Shahrekord County were collected by recording demographic characteristics from 2018 to 2019 and were evaluated to determine the prevalence of T.canis by formalin-ether and zinc sulfate concentration methods then, data were analyzed using SPSS 24 software.

Findings: The prevalence of Toxocara spp infections in dogs, as determined by formalin-ether and zinc sulfate concentration methods, were 85.8% (23 samples) and 10% (26 samples), respectively. Also, the egg of Toxascaris leonine was observed along with Toxocara canis egg in 5 samples (1.9%). The results show that the highest rate of Toxocara infection was observed in male dogs (96.2%), shepherd dogs (46.2%), and in the spring (42.3%). The statistical analysis of the data indicated that there was no significant relationship between the prevalence of toxocariasis and age، gender, habitat variables, and sampling season.

Conclusion: Toxocara canis infection in 10% of owned dogs in Shahrekord County can be a potential risk for the owners of these animals and the infection of paratenic hosts. It is recommended that dog owners be aware of the risk of this infection and that veterinarians design and implement control programs.