Parasitic infections control practices and antiparasitic drug usage by veterinarians in the Azores archipelago, Portugal.

In the Azores archipelago, data regarding the current parasite control strategies adopted in domestic animals within the local veterinary community is inexistent till the moment. The present study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, approaches, and practices of local veterinarians of Azores islands, regarding parasitic infections control and antiparasitic drugs usage in veterinary practice. The research was conducted between June 2024 and April 2025 with 107 veterinarians from eight different islands of the Azores archipelago. The study surveyed a diverse group of veterinarians working in various fields of veterinary medicine, including academia, pet clinic, livestock clinic, public health and the industry sector. The results of the current study revealed that while veterinarians in Azores islands generally have a good understanding of parasitic infections and antiparasitic drugs, there are still gaps in their practice, mainly regarding testing anthelmintic resistance, using parasitic diagnostic methods and attending conferences, symposia, and workshops on this matter. Overall, our study provides valuable insights into the current state of parasitic infections and anthelmintic resistance management in veterinary medicine of the Azores archipelago. We believe that the findings of our study will help to inform the need of development of more effective strategies for the prevention and treatment of parasitic infections in those animals and contribute to the ongoing efforts to improve animal health and welfare in the region. Our results are also expected to raise awareness about anthelminthic efficacy/resistance, parasite infections among veterinarians in this insular territory and the role of zoonotic parasitic diseases introduced in island ecosystems.