Environmental Toxocara spp. presence in crowded squares and public parks from San Juan Province, Argentina: A call for a "One Health" approach

Canine soil-transmitted helminth (cSTH) parasites need specific environmental conditions to complete their life cycle. and are the most important zoonotic cSTH, since they are the causal agents of human toxocariasis. Canine STHs are dispersed in feces from infected domestic and wildlife canines. In...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Frontiers in medicine 2023-02, Vol.10, p.1102396-1102396
Main Authors: Avila, Héctor Gabriel, Sandon, Leonardo, Anes, Paola Emilce, Meli, Sergio Andrés, Giboin, Gustavo Adolfo, Pérez, Verónica Mirtha, Periago, María Victoria
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Argentina
Medicine
One Health
San Juan
soil transmitted helminths
spatial epidemiology
Toxocara canis
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Summary:Canine soil-transmitted helminth (cSTH) parasites need specific environmental conditions to complete their life cycle. and are the most important zoonotic cSTH, since they are the causal agents of human toxocariasis. Canine STHs are dispersed in feces from infected domestic and wildlife canines. In this study, the presence of STH in canine feces was evaluated in 34 crowded public parks and squares from San Juan Province (Argentina). Fecal samples were collected during different seasons in 2021-2022 and analyzed by standard coprological methods, including Sheather and Willis flotation and Telemann sedimentation. InfoStat 2020, OpenEpi V. 3.01 and R and RStudio® were used for statistical analysis and QGIS 3.16.10 for mapping. From a total of 1,121 samples collected, 100 (8.9%) were positive for at least one intestinal parasite (IP) and three cSTH species were detected: spp., and . The most prevalent cSTH species was (64/1121; 0.057%), while the least prevalent was spp. (19/1121; 0.017%). The detection of spp. eggs was significantly different depending on the season. The geo-spatial variation of each cSTH per season is described. This is the first study in San Juan Province to identify environmental contamination of cSTHs in public areas. The specific localization of areas with the presence of cSTH eggs could provide information to guide strategies to reduce the cSTH infection burden in dogs and promote serological screening of the human population for spp. Given the zoonotic nature of spp. We hope this information will help to reinforce activities of control programs, focusing on the "One Health" approach.
ISSN:2296-858X
2296-858X
DOI:10.3389/fmed.2023.1102396