Inquérito epidemiológico sobre Lagoquilascaríase em Felinos da Serra Gaúcha.

The nematode Lagochilascaris sp. belonging to the family Ascarididae is a parasite whose definitive host may be the cat. Considered a rare zoonosis in veterinary medicine, lagochilascariasis is responsible for causing luminal lesions and has a particular tropism for the cervical region and head. Infection occurs through the ingestion of undercooked meat from wild animals by humans and through hunting by felines. This work aims to carry out a survey of cases of lagochilascariasis that occurred in domestic cats in the cities of Bento Gonçalves, Farroupilha and Caxias do Sul, located in the Serra Gaúcha region. A survey was carried out through a questionnaire sent by email, during the months of April to July 2020, to 44 veterinarians from the municipalities of Bento Gonçalves, Farroupilha and Caxias do Sul, of which 13 (29.54%) were veterinarians from Bento. Gonçalves, 10 (22.73%) from Farroupilha and 21 (47.73%) from Caxias do Sul. Of these professionals, 17 (38.63%) have already treated cases of animals parasitized by this nematode; 9 (20.45%) in Bento Gonçalves; 3 (6.81%) in Farroupilha and 5 (11.36%) in Caxias do Sul. In total, 36 cases of lagochilascariasis were treated in the period from 2016 to 2020, with the highest occurrence being in the city of Bento Gonçalves, with 25 cases, followed by Caxias do Sul with 6 cases and Farroupilha with only 5 reported cases. Although the literature considers lagochilascariasis a rare disease, this survey shows that there are several cases happening in feline species in Serra Gaúcha.2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]