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Prevalence of Toxocara eggs and number of faecal deposits from dogs and cats in sandpits of public parks in Japan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2009

Shoji Uga
Shoji Uga
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Zoology, Kobe University School of Medicine, Kobe 650, Japan
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Abstract

Contamination of 13 sandpits in public parks in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, by Toxocara eggs and animal faeces was studied. All 13 sandpits were contaminated with faeces. The mean number of faeces found in 1 m2 of the sandpits was 35, from which the number of faeces in each sandpit was estimated to be 261 to 2205. Toxocara eggs were detected in 12 of the 13 sandpits, each examined 4–15 times; the overall prevalence was 92%. The eggs were not always distributed in the same pattern, but in general, eggs were numerous on the sandpit surface but also present at depths of about 35 cm. Of the eggs recovered, 63% were fully embryonated. Of the 13 sandpits examined, two were heavily contaminated by eggs, and all but one of the others were mildly contaminated. The difference between heavy and light contamination was not related to differences in the environment or in the number of faeces; the cause is unknown.

Keywords

Toxocara canisToxocara catieggssandpitfaecesJapanNematoda.
Type
Research Papers
Information
Journal of Helminthology , Volume 67 , Issue 1 , March 1993 , pp. 78 - 82
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1993

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