Soil contamination by Ancylostoma spp. and Toxocara spp. eggs in elementary school playgrounds in the extreme south of Brazil

Contaminação do solo de praças de recreação de escolas de ensino fundamental por ovos de Ancylostoma spp. e Toxocara spp. no extremo sul do Brasil

Abstract

Millions of people worldwide, and especially schoolchildren, may be infected by geohelminths due to their exposure to a contaminated environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate soil contamination by Ancylostoma spp. and Toxocara spp. eggs in recreation areas at elementary schools in Pelotas, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Sand samples were collected from 22 schools and were processed using the centrifugal flotation method. Helminth eggs with zoonotic potential were found in 12 out of the 22 schools (54.5%). Contamination by Ancylostoma spp. and Toxocara spp. was observed in 36.4% (8/22) and 27.3% (6/22) of the soil samples collected at these schools, respectively. These findings of eggs show that the school communities are exposed to risks of zoonotic transmission.

Keywords:
Environmental contamination; larva migrans; hookworms