Toxocara canis: egg presence in Melbourne parks and disease incidence in Victoria.
OBJECTIVE
Toxocara canis can cause blinding eye disease. This study assessed the presence of T. canis eggs in soil from parks in Melbourne and also the incidence of presumed ocular toxocariasis in Victoria.


METHODS
One hundred and eighty soil samples were collected from nine suburban locations in Melbourne, Australia. These were analyzed for the presence of T. canis eggs. A search of laboratory records of T. canis serology requests from Victorian patients over an 8-year period was performed.


RESULTS
Only one soil sample was positive for T. canis eggs. Positive T. canis serology was reported in 13 samples from patients. These patients all had ocular features suggestive of T. canis infection.


CONCLUSIONS
Toxocara canis eggs are rare in public parks in Melbourne and symptomatic ocular toxocariasis is uncommon in the Victorian population. The acquisition of the disease is unlikely to be from public parks.
Carden
Susan M
SM
Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. smcarden@aol.com
Meusemann
Robin
R
Walker
John
J
Stawell
Richard J
RJ
MacKinnon
Jane R
JR
Smith
Danielle
D
Stawell
Alison M
AM
Hall
Anthony J H
AJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D015822:Eye Infections, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008875:Middle Aged; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D010988:Play and Playthings; D012307:Risk Factors; D012987:Soil / Q000469:parasitology*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017166:Toxocara canis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014120:Toxocariasis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014739:Victoria / Q000453:epidemiology
D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants