Distribution of Toxocara infection in the environment and in definitive and paratenic hosts in Estonia

Abstract

The aim of the study was to elucidate the distribution and possible transmission routes of Toxocara spp. infection in Estonia. Out of 454 faecal and sand samples collected from park lawns and sandpits in the town of Tartu, 19 were Toxocara positive (4.2%). Out of the 45 sandpit samples 17.8% were Toxocara positive. Cat faeces was found in 21 sandpit samples. Parasitological necropsies were performed on 41 euthanised stray dogs and 27 cats in the Tallinn Dog Home. Additionally, 13 wild free-roaming brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) were captured from the Tallinn Dog Home territory, necropsied and studied for the presence of Toxocara larvae. Toxocara canis adults were found in 14.6% of the dogs and Toxocara cati (syn. mystax) adults in the small intestines of 48.2% of the cats examined. Larval infection was detected in the kidney and liver in 5 dogs (12.2%). Our study demonstrated only low-level larval Toxocara infections in adult dogs. Toxocara larvae were not found in cats and brown rats. According to the results of this study, cats more often carry Toxocara infection than dogs. Under our conditions, stray and free-roaming cats are the main contaminators of the environment with Toxocara eggs. Children playing in sandpits are the main risk group for larval toxocarosis.

PCR-Based Molecular Characterization of Toxocara spp. Using Feces of Stray Cats: A Study from Southwest Iran

“…Arbabi and Hooshyar in central Iran and Sadjjadi et al in southern Iran reported 13.3% and 52.8%, respectively [20], [30]. One study in Turkey showed that the prevalence of T. cati was 62.5% [31] whereas other studies in Estonia and Ireland reported a prevalence of 48.2% and 42.8% in adult cats, respectively [32], [33]. It seems that the higher prevalence of T. cati in our study is probably because of the climatic conditions, which are suitable for the spread and survival of helminth eggs.…”

Histopathologic changes and larval recovery of Toxocara cati in experimentally infected chickens

“…Human infection can occur as a result of ingesting embryonated eggs from the environment such as contaminated vegetables and fruits (Dubinský et al 1995;Magnaval et al 2001;Talvik et al 2006), although the possibility of ingestion of larvae within small paratenic hosts, such as beetles, or in uncooked meat, cannot be excluded (Fisher 2003).…”

Toxocariasis in urban environment of western Slovakia

“…The number of dogs and cats, especially in urban areas, is ever so increasing, so their share on environmental contamination with Toxocara eggs has often been discussed. But stray cats still play an important role in epidemiology of toxocariasis (Talvik et al, 2006). …”