[Toxocariasis in dogs and contamination of soil with Toxocara spp. eggs in the Poznań region].
Dogs and soil samples from Poznań city and the nearby small town Murowana Goślina were surveyed for the presence Toxocara eggs. On the areas examined, the range of dog's infections with T. canis and the contamination of the soil with the infective stage of Toxocara spp. were not paralleled. In Poznań city out of 617 dogs examined 11.8% were infected with adult form of T. canis and since 1980th the prevalence has decreased. In Murowana Goślina as much as 35.2% dogs out of 352 examined were infected. On the contrary the range of soil contamination with Toxocara spp. eggs was higher in Poznań (12% positive soil samples) than in Murowana Goślina (7% positive soil samples). The most heavily contaminated areas in both localities were urban backyards with 19% (Murowana Goślina) and 27% (Poznań) of soil samples positive; a mean egg density was 1.98 eggs/100 g and 0.48 eggs/100 g respectively. Contrary to the generally accepted opinion, the study suggests, that exposure of human population to Toxocara spp. infections may be higher in urban agglomeration than in the country. T. cati infections may be an important cause of human toxocarosis and the court yards as a play-grounds may be more risky source of Toxocara spp. infection than sand-boxes.
D000818:Animals; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D004285:Dogs / Q000469:parasitology*; D006801:Humans; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012987:Soil / Q000469:parasitology*; D017166:Toxocara canis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014120:Toxocariasis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology*