Persistence of environmental pollution by eggs of toxocara cati in a public space. Argentina

Abstract

Toxocara cati is the most frequent feline gastrointestinal parasite. Eggs are eliminated with fecal material in the environment, where they evolve until reaching the infestante stage. In urban areas there are cat’s populations that inhabit public spaces which offer them shelter and protection and entails a risk of transmission of zoonoses prevalent to other hosts. The aim of this study was to study the persistence of environmental pollution by eggs of T. cati during a one year study in a public space of the autonomous city of Buenos Aires (CABA), where the presence of a feline population was observed. A monthly sampling of fecal matter in the environment took place from August 2009 to July 2010. The samples were analysed by Benbrook technique and found the viability of the larvae by optical microscopy. Positive samples averaged 48.47 (95% CI = 41.79 - 55.16) and did not show statistically significant differences according to the months of the year (F = 6.13; p = 0.1480), although a larger proportion of positive samples was observed in the warmer months. In urban areas it is necessary to educate the human population about the risk of transmission of zoonosis from cats and different health organizations must work in this direction to prevent it and control feline’s population.