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• W4313650326 abstract "Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati are intestinal nematodes that commonly infect canids and felids, respectively. Adult worms (Fig 1) live in the small intestine and shed eggs (Fig 2) into the environment via the host's faeces. However, these eggs are not immediately infective, needing to first larvate in the environment before being ingested by a new host.1 Both T canis and T cati have zoonotic potential, with transmission to people typically occurring via the consumption of contaminated soil or water containing larvated eggs or through contact with eggs on the hair of companion animals. Ingested eggs hatch in the small intestine, where the released larvae can perforate the intestinal wall. Subsequent larval migration can lead to recognised disease syndromes such as ocular and visceral larva migrans,2 the former of which most commonly affects children and can lead to blindness.3 In addition, chronic Toxocara infection has also been identified as a risk factor in a wide range of conditions, including epilepsy,4 cognitive dysfunction5,6 and asthma.5 Recent studies suggest that approximately 10.5 per cent of people in Europe are seropositive for Toxocara.7 However, the current prevalence of Toxocara in adult cat and dog populations in the UK, and thus the extent to which the public may be exposed, is largely unknown as few studies have been performed in the past 20 years. Concerns over potential environmental contamination with anthelmintics have led to calls to reduce deworming of cats and dogs, given that confirmed cases of human toxocarosis in the UK are low. However, the problem with this argument is that the clinical signs of human toxcocarosis are highly variable and confirming a diagnosis can be difficult. Furthermore, reporting is voluntary as the disease is not notifiable. As a result, it is likely that any official disease prevalence figures for the UK are a significant underestimate. For human serosurveillance studies to be carried out, some evidence of exposure is likely to be required. Environmental contamination studies fulfil this role while also revealing the extent to which environmental contamination with eggs is occurring. Such studies also help local authorities direct their anti-dog fouling efforts, increase public awareness of toxcocarosis and demonstrate the need for effective Toxocara control through deworming strategies. However, although some small-scale studies have recently been performed to assess Toxocara contamination in public spaces,8 nationwide comparative data are currently lacking. Adult worms of the genus Toxocara In research summarised on p 33 of this issue of Vet Record, Airs and colleagues have sought to address this data gap by assessing soil samples from 142 parks and recreational grounds across the UK and Ireland for Toxocara egg contamination.9 Having recovered eggs using an adapted faecal flotation technique, enumerated and morphologically characterised them, they also speciated representative eggs by species-specific PCR and sequencing. In addition, they also asked the people who collected the samples to comment on the relative condition of the park and the levels of dog fouling they observed. Toxocara-type eggs were found in 86.6 per cent of the parks sampled, with an average egg density of 2.1 eggs per 50 g of topsoil.9 Parks where Toxocara-positive samples were recorded were widely distributed across the UK and Ireland, indicating a high risk of members of the public coming into contact with eggs. This represents a widespread and persistent hazard to public health, with eggs potentially remaining viable for several years in the soil.10 So, to what extent do dogs, cats and foxes contribute to this contamination? Although only a small number of eggs in Airs and colleagues' study were suitable for molecular characterisation, sequencing confirmed all to be T canis.9 In urban environments, dogs would be expected to be a greater contributor of T canis eggs than foxes. This is because although foxes have a high prevalence of T canis infection, fox population density is much lower in urban settings (<10 per km2) than that of pet dogs (>100 per km2). As a result, a higher prevalence of egg shedding in foxes does not translate into higher overall egg numbers. Unlarvated Toxocara egg Domestic cats have also been shown to have a high prevalence of patent Toxocara infection,11 and it might be expected that some T cati eggs would have been found by Airs and colleagues. However, as only a small number of eggs were sequenced, T cati eggs may have been missed. Cats are also very selective in their defecation sites, with faecal contamination potentially being higher in gardens near their homes rather than in public parks. However, this does not account for the contribution of stray cats, and more studies on the contribution of cats to Toxocara egg contamination in public areas are required. The role of dogs as the predominant source of Toxocara contamination in public parks is further supported by Airs and colleagues' observation of positive correlations between perceived levels of dog fouling and Toxocara egg presence and density.9 Moreover, this finding suggests a link between the deposition of faeces from infected dogs in public environments and the risk of zoonotic exposure. Reducing the levels of Toxocara contamination in public environments will therefore require a multifaceted approach aimed at reducing both faecal contamination and the shedding of eggs by domestic dogs. Veterinary professionals have a significant role to play in addressing both of these aspects, raising awareness of the importance of responsible disposal of dog faeces and ensuring dogs are routinely dewormed. Routine deworming of dogs to reduce faecal egg shedding is critical to minimising the risk of zoonotic exposure, as it is unlikely that any anti-dog fouling strategy will be completely effective. Furthermore, given that cats with outdoor access have been shown to have a higher prevalence of patent Toxocara infection than dogs,11 routine deworming of cats with outdoor access should also be employed to protect people from exposure. Although environmental contamination with anthelmintic products used to treat worms in pets remains a concern, to my knowledge, there is currently no data to demonstrate that this is actually occurring. However, further research into this issue is urgently needed. In conclusion, Airs and colleagues' study9 provides vital data on the extent to which public spaces are contaminated with Toxocara eggs. However, the soil samples examined were collected at a single time point with limited spatial mapping within parks. Therefore, further research is needed to discern spatiotemporal differences within parks and assess changes in egg contamination over time." @default.
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• W4313650326 date "2023-01-01" @default.
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• W4313650326 title "<i>Toxocara</i> contamination of park soils in the UK: are we underestimating the public health risk?" @default.
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• W4313650326 doi "https://doi.org/10.1002/vetr.2614" @default.
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