title: Toxocara canis: egg presence in Melbourne parks and disease incidence in Victoria.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. smcarden@aol.com
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Carden
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Meusemann
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Stawell
authors.forename: Jane R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: MacKinnon
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Alison M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Stawell
authors.forename: Anthony J H
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Hall
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants