[Zoonotic parasites of cats and dogs found in playground sandboxes in the Reykjavik area, Iceland.].
Recent surveys on the parasites of household cats and dogs in Iceland have revealed the zoonotic protozoans Cryptosporidium parvwn and Toxoplasma gondii and the zoonotic nematodes Toxocara cati and T. canis. Furthermore, a Giardia sp., recently found in cats in Iceland, is also suspected to be a zoonotic parasite. In Iceland children frequently play in open sandboxes commonly found at kindergartens, in public areas or in private gardens. During the cold months of the year, when the soil is frequently frozen, cats frequently visit these sandboxes and dig their faeces in the dry and loose sand. To evaluate the risk of zoonotic infections, altogether 32 sandboxes in the Reykjavik area in SW-Iceland were examined for the presence of cat and dog protozoan and helminth parasites. Systematically collected sand samples (30 ml sand from every square meter of each sandbox), altogether 411 samples, were examined by a modified salt flotation technique. Furthermore, cat and dog faeces were collected from the surface of the sandboxes and also by sieving approximately five liters of sand from every square meter of each sandbox. The faecal samples found were examined by salt flotation and the formalin-ethylacetate concentration method.
Smaradottir
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Skirnisson
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