Prevalence of Toxocara spp. Eggs in Soil Samples of Public Parks of Ilam City, Iran

Introduction: Toxocariasis, also known as Visceral Larva Migrans (VLM) syndrome, is a parasitic disease caused by the ascaris larva migrans of dogs and cats, especially Toxocara canis. The eggs of this parasite enter the human body through contaminated food, water, and soil. Aim: To determine the prevalence of Toxocara spp. eggs in the soil of public parks in Ilam city, Iran. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 40 soil samples (100 grams per sample from the depth of 3 to 5 cm) were randomly collected from 10 public parks of Ilam city in the summer season of 2018. After washing, grinding, and separating large particles from the samples, parasitic eggs were isolated using 150-micron filters and sucrose flotation method. The data was analysed using SPSS 20 software. Results: Five of ten parks (50%) were contaminated with Toxocara spp. eggs. From 40 soil samples collected from the public parks, 16 (40%) were contaminated with Toxocara spp. eggs. Most of the contaminated samples were collected from walking and flowering areas in all the parks. Microscopic studies showed an average of 1-4 Toxocara spp. eggs per microscopic field in each sample indicating 4 to16 eggs per 100 grams of soil in each contaminated park. Conclusion: Due to the high level of contamination with Toxocara spp. eggs in Ilam city parks, it is necessary to prevent dogs and cats from entering to lawns and playgrounds in public parks by fencing.