CIISA, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa (ULisboa), Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal.
CIISA, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa (ULisboa), Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal.
J Infect Public Health. 2018 Jan-Feb;11(1):94-98. doi: 10.1016/j.jiph.2017.05.002. Epub 2017 May 22.
Toxocarosis is a zoonotic parasitic disease transmitted from companion animals to humans. Environmental contamination with Toxocara eggs is considered to be the main source of human infections. In Portugal, knowledge regarding the current situation, including density, distribution and environmental contamination by Toxocara spp., is largely unknown. The present study investigated environmental contamination with Toxocara spp. eggs, in soil and faecal samples collected from public parks and playground sandpits in Greater Lisbon, Portugal. A total of 151 soil samples and 135 canine faecal samples were collected from 7 public sandpits and 12 public parks, over a 4 month-period. Soil samples were tested by a modified centrifugation and sedimentation/flotation technique and faecal samples were tested by an adaptation of the Cornell-Wisconsin method. Molecular analysis and sequencing were performed to discriminate Toxocara species in the soil. Overall, 85.7% of the sandpits (6/7) and 50.0% of the parks (6/12) were contaminated with Toxocara spp. eggs. The molecular analysis of soil samples showed that, 85.5% of the sandpits and 34.4% of the parks were contaminated with Toxocara cati eggs. Faecal analysis showed that 12.5% of the sandpits and 3.9% of the parks contained Toxocara canis eggs. In total, 53.0% of soil and 5.9% of faecal samples were positive for Toxocara spp. Additionally, 56.0% of the eggs recovered from the samples were embryonated after 60 days of incubation, therefore considered viable and infective. The average density was 4.2 eggs per hundred grams of soil. Public parks and playground sandpits in the Lisbon area were found to be heavily contaminated with T. cati eggs, representing a serious menace to public health as the studied areas represent common places where people of all ages, particularly children, recreate. This study sounds an alarm bell regarding the necessity to undertake effective measures such as reduction of stray animals, active faecal collection by pet owners, awareness campaigns and control strategies to decrease the high risk to both animal and human health.
犬弓首蛔虫病是一种人畜共患的寄生虫病，可由伴侣动物传播给人类。环境中犬弓首蛔虫卵的污染被认为是人类感染的主要来源。在葡萄牙，有关当前情况的知识，包括犬弓首蛔虫的密度、分布和环境污染，在很大程度上是未知的。本研究调查了葡萄牙里斯本大都市区的公共公园和游乐场沙坑中土壤和粪便样本中的犬弓首蛔虫属卵的环境污染情况。在 4 个月的时间里，从 7 个公共沙坑和 12 个公共公园共采集了 151 个土壤样本和 135 个犬粪便样本。土壤样本采用改良的离心沉淀/漂浮技术进行检测，粪便样本采用康奈尔-威斯康星方法进行检测。进行分子分析和测序以区分土壤中的犬弓首蛔虫种。总体而言，7 个沙坑中有 85.7%（6/7）和 12 个公园中有 50.0%（6/12）受到犬弓首蛔虫属卵的污染。土壤样本的分子分析显示，85.5%的沙坑和 34.4%的公园受到猫犬弓首蛔虫卵的污染。粪便分析显示，12.5%的沙坑和 3.9%的公园含有犬弓首蛔虫卵。土壤样本和粪便样本中共有 53.0%和 5.9%对犬弓首蛔虫属呈阳性。此外，在孵育 60 天后，从样本中回收的卵中有 56.0%已孵化，因此被认为具有活力和感染力。平均密度为每百克土壤 4.2 个卵。里斯本地区的公共公园和游乐场沙坑被发现严重受到猫犬弓首蛔虫卵的污染，这对公共健康构成了严重威胁，因为研究区域是各个年龄段的人，尤其是儿童娱乐的常见场所。本研究敲响了警钟，需要采取有效措施，如减少流浪动物、宠物主人积极收集粪便、开展宣传活动和控制策略，以降低动物和人类健康的高风险。
