Prevalence of Toxocara spp. Eggs in the Soil of Marand Parks: A Local Report

 Toxocariasis caused by Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati is a worldwide zoonotic parasitic infection that can be acquired from contaminated soil. The soil contamination of public places and parks is one of the effective factors in human pollution.

 The current study was designed and implemented to investigate the prevalence of Toxocara species eggs in the soil of Marand parks (in the northwest of Iran).

 Present cross-sectional study was conducted between September and December 2021. Overall, 160 samples were collected from 10 large parks with high traffic and then analyzed by parasitological techniques (sucrose flotation).

 The overall prevalence was assessed at 27.2% in Marand public parks; the highest and lowest prevalence rates were related to Besat park and Shahr park, respectively (39.6% vs. 19.3%). The maximum number of recovered eggs from 100 grams of soil was seven eggs.

 Considering the remarkable prevalence of Toxocara spp. in the Marand parks, control and preventive measures seem necessary.