Soil survival of toxoplasma oocysts in Kansas and Costa Rica.
Toxoplasma oocysts in cat feces were marked with a tracer amount of strontium-85 (85-SR), and were superficially buried simulating the natural disposal of feces by cats. Oocyst infectivity in Costa Rica was followed qualitatively and persisted for 1 year in three shaded sites, two moist, and one relatively dry site. Oocyst infectivity was quantitated in the Kansas deposit over a period of 18 months, including two winters. After initial mixing in soil, the level of infectivity remained fairly stable. Infectivity was recovered, probably from the surface on one Musca, several isopods, and earthworms. These data on persistence of Toxoplasma oocysts in soil support the concept that Toxoplasma infectivity in nature may be increased logarithmically by cats.
D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats / Q000469:parasitology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003364:Costa Rica; D004199:Disease Vectors / Q000469:parasitology; D004463:Ecology; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D007615:Kansas; D051379:Mice; D009835:Oligochaeta / Q000469:parasitology; D010063:Ovum; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000254:growth & development / Q000469:parasitology / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D014887:Weather