One Health approach on human seroprevalence of anti-Toxocara antibodies, Toxocara spp. eggs in dogs and sand samples between seashore mainland and island areas of southern Brazil

Abstract

Toxocariasis, caused by Toxocara spp. nematodes, is among the top 5 neglected parasitic diseases worldwide; however, no comprehensive study to date has serologically compared infections in people and their dogs and environmentally contaminated soil or sand of mainland and island locations. Accordingly, this study aimed to assess the seroprevalence of anti- Toxocara antibodies in traditional human seashore populations, the presence of eggs in dogs' feces and hair, and the presence of eggs in environmental samples from islands compared to the adjacent mainland of southern Brazil. Overall, 212/328 (64.6%) people were positive for Toxocara spp. antibodies, including 125/190 (65.8%) island and 87/138 (63.0%) mainland residents. For dog samples, 12/115 (10.43%) were positive for the presence of Toxocara spp. eggs, all from dogs living in islands, and 22/104 (21.15%) dog hair samples contained eggs of Toxocara spp. Environmental contamination with Toxocara spp. eggs was observed in 50/130 (38.46%) samples from all sampled sites. No significant association was found between risk factors (age, sex, educational level, monthly income, owning dogs or cats, ingestion of treated water, and consumption of raw or uncooked meat) and Toxocara spp. seropositivity. The present study is the first concurrent report on people, their dogs, and environmental contamination of Toxocara spp. The high prevalence we observed in the seashore populations of both in island and mainland areas may be caused by exposure to contaminated sand and climatic factors favoring frequent exposure to Toxocara spp. In conclusion, seashore lifestyle and living conditions of both island and mainland areas may have predisposed higher contact with infected pets and contaminated soil, favoring the high prevalence of toxocariasis.

Seropositivity of Anti-Toxoplasma gondii Antibodies in Owners and Their Dogs Living on Island and Mainland Seashore Areas of Southern Brazil

“…Previous studies have already shown T. gondii overspreading in the Brazilian oceanic island of Fernando de Noronha, a major national preservation park and touristic destination 545 km far (340 miles) from the Brazilian mainland seashore, with a human seroprevalence of 172/341 (50.4%) inhabitants, along with high prevalence of 248/348 (71.3%) pet and 135/247 (54.7%) feral cat populations [ 3 , 4 ]. In this confined scenario of islands and seashore areas, a potential exacerbated transmission may occur due to favorable climate and daily exposure, as previously shown in the same areas studied herein for toxocariasis [ 5 ].…”

Serosurvey of anti-<i>Toxocara</i> antibodies and associated risk factors in domestic dogs and cats owners in Karaj, Alborz Province of Iran

“…Long-term keeping of dogs and cats has been demonstrated to increase the risk of toxocariasis and Toxocara seropositivity rate in pet owners. The results of studies have shown that direct contact and keeping dogs and cats does not cause infection, but the conditions of keeping including diet, consumption of dry, canned or raw foods, as well as defecation conditions are very important [10,22]. However, gender was not significantly associated with Toxocara seroprevalence in either the univariate or multivariate analysis in this survey.…”

Environmental soil contamination with zoonotic soil-transmitted helminths in the temple grounds of Chachoengsao Province, Thailand

“…This result was slightly different from a previous report where contamination was detected in 12.0% of the soil samples collected from schools in Sakon Nakhon Province [6] in the northeastern region and in 18.3% of the soil samples in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province [7] in the southern region. Our results revealed higher contamination rates than those in Iran (13.0%) [18], Sri Lanka (12.0%) [19], Poland (1.6%) [20], and Brazil (0.5%-8.3%) [12,21], but lower than those reported in Iran (18.0%-47.5%) [9,22,23], Malaysia (24%) [2], Poland (20.7%) [17], Russia (23.3%) [24], Brazil (27.3%-38.4%) [25,26], Greece (17.1%) [27], Peninsula (26.6%) [28], Portugal (63.2%) [29], Serbia (22.0%-26.0%) [30], Turkey (19.4%) [31], and Germany (23.2%) [32]. Toxocara spp.…”