Environmental detection of parasites in the marginalized Paiute reservations compared to a nearby area

Abstract

The amounts of parasite DNA in soil samples from different playgrounds and other public areas can help identify areas of possible microbe transmission as well as giving indications of possible occurrence of parasite infection in nearby communities. We collected 207 soil samples from parks located on Paiute indigenous tribal areas in southwest Utah and from higher income city of St. George, Utah, and tested them for the presence of 11 parasites that can cause human disease. Molecular tests revealed elevated odds ratio of detecting the helminth Trichuris trichiura 3.072 (1.114 to 8.065) and any protozoa (not including Acanthamoeba) 3.036 (1.101 to 7.966) in the tribal land playgrounds compared to St. George parks. These findings support previous studies showing that areas in lower socioeconomic communities, especially marginalized communities, tend to have higher presence of parasites in the soil that may lead to higher rates of disease prevalence.