EN
Toxoplasma gondiiand Toxocaraspp. zoonotic infections may cause severe systemic and ocular illnessin infected individuals. Cats play a significant role in environmental contamination and the transmission of parasites.The goal of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii(T. gondii) and Toxocaraspp.infection among stray cats at Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences campus. The current descriptive studybegan with the collection of 170 fresh cat faecal samples from various sites in the Ahvaz Jundishapur University ofMedical Sciences area. Sheather’s sugar flotation method was applied to all specimens, and parasites were identifiedand examined microscopically. Next, a nested-PCR assay, sequencing, and real-time PCR with high-resolution meltingcurve (HRM) analysis were performed. In this study, out of 170 cat faecal samples microscopically evaluated, 8 (4.70%)and 37 (21.76%) were infected with T. gondiioocysts and Toxocaraeggs, respectively. Using nested PCR, 8 out of 170samples (4.70%) were found to be infected with T. gondii. HRM analysis showed that all isolates could be classifiedinto three genetic lineages. Considerable prevalence, exceeding 50% for Toxocaraand surpassing 25% for Toxoplasmain certain instances, along with genetic diversity, was observed in the present study. Hence, it is suggested that allindividuals, including kindergarten children, students, employees, workers, and pregnant women who are in contactwith their surroundings, take the necessary precautions.