Geohelminths in the soil of the Laguna dos Patos in Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil

Abstract

This study aimed at examining the prevalence of eggs and larvae of parasites – that may cause diseases to humans and other animals – in the soil of public squares located on the shore of Laranjal beaches, in the Laguna dos Patos, in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. Four fieldwork trips – one per season – were taken to collect samples on six squares built on the shore of these beaches. Five samples of soil were collected on every square on every fieldwork trip. The material was processed by Caldwell & Caldwell’s technique. Four squares (66.7%) were positive for helminth eggs and sample positivity was 8.3% (10). Toxocara spp. and Ancylostoma spp. were the main genera found in these places. Even though prevalence was lower than the one observed by other studies which were carried out in the area, helminths with zoonotic potential were found in the soil of the squares. It should be highlighted that measures to control dogs in these areas must be implemented and public policies must be put forth to make pets’ owners and beach goers aware of the need to mitigate environmental contamination.

Parasitic contamination in the soil of beaches from Mosqueiro Island, Pará State, Brazil

“…Other studies conducted in soil from beaches in Brazil reported a low prevalence of parasites in these samples 6,10,17,18 , in accordance with our results. However, the data about parasitic contamination of beaches are limited in the Northern region of Brazil 17 .…”

“…However, the data about parasitic contamination of beaches are limited in the Northern region of Brazil 17 . In this way, a parasitological analysis performed at the public parks onshore of beaches from Rio Grande do Sul showed 8.3% (10/120) of positivity in soil samples using the Caldwell & Caldwell's technique adapted by Pessoa and Martins (1988) 18 .…”

Human Toxocariasis: 2010 to 2020 Contributions from Brazilian Researchers

“…Several Brazilian researchers investigated the soils of public spaces for Toxocara eggs between 2010 and 2020 (Table 1) and almost always found high positivity rates. [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25] Santarém et al 19 found higher numbers of Toxocara eggs in the soil of public parks with mean monthly temperatures and monthly amounts of rainfall. Queiroz et al 26 had also noticed increased soil contamination at a similar time.…”

Occurrence of parasites in the soil of public squares in Veranópolis, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

“…Dogs and cats are hosts of some species of zoonotic parasites and potential transmitters of these pathogens. Considering the high numbers of these animals at home and on the streets, the human population is exposed to higher risks of parasitic infection (Leon et al, 2020). Public parks and squares are leisure environments frequently visited by the population, mainly children, and they are also easily accessed by domestic and stray animals.…”