A total of 100 free-living urban pigeons (Columba livia) were captured in the city of Santiago, Chile, in order to evaluate, for the ® rst time, their health status. Negligible antibody titres (1 to 3 log2) were detected in 22% of the birds against a strain of the paramyxovirus (PMV) serotype 1. No pigeons had antibodies against PMV serotype 7 and avian in¯uenza. Salmonella sp. belonging to serogroups B and D were isolated from the intestinal tract of three pigeons (3%). The protozoa Haemoproteus columbae, Plasmodium sp., and Leucocytozoon sp. were not detected in any pigeons. Trichomonas gallinae was detected in 11%, without observation of either clinical signs or gross pathological changes at necropsy. Sixty-seven percent of the birds showed the presence of the chewing lice Columbicola columbae and Campanulotes bidentatus compar, and 1% harboured the mite Laminosioptes cysticola. Seven species of nematodes were identi® ed. The frequency at which each species was detected was; Tetrameres sp. (14%), Capillaria annulata (1%), Capillaria columbae (11%), Capillaria obsignata (1%), Ascaridia columbae (5%), Dispharynx spiralis (2%), and Gongylonema ingluvicola (2%). The class Cestoda, found in one pigeon, was represented by the species Aporina delafondi. No trematodes were detected in the sampled birds.

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The prevalence of canine parasites was estimated in three counties from the Metropolitan Region with different socioeconomical conditions which were Providencia (ABC1 level), Quinta Normal (D level) and La Pintana (E level). Faecal samples of 582 dogs were examined by Zinc flotation method, modified Teleman method and staining of faecal smears with Ziehl-Neelsen. A third of the dogs (30.2%) were found positive to some type of parasitism with significant higher prevalence in younger dogs (3 to 6 months old) with 49% of infection versus 25.6% of older dogs. The percentage of positive samples was significantly higher in stray dogs than those kept indoors (40% versus 28%). Significant differences in the frequency of parasites were also found between La Pintana and Providencia, (odds ratio of 2.61), and between La Pintana and Quinta Normal (odds ratio of 1.85) p < 0.05), but no differences were found between Providencia and Quinta Normal. A total of 118 samples were positive to helminths (67%) and 41samples to protozoa (23.3%), as single infections while mixed infections were recorded in 17 cases (9.7%).

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