Parasite detection in sand from bays on the north coast of São Paulo state, Brazil

Soil contamination by protozoan parasites and soil-transmitted helminths (STH) is common in beach sand due to a number of factors such as pets, pluvial water, garbage, etc. These pathogens may cause many diseases in humans and animals and become a public health problem. Thus, systematic evaluation and inspection are necessary to develop control strategies regarding public contamination. For this purpose, our aims were to evaluate the parasitic profile of sandy soils on an urban beach and an untouched beach and correlate this with environmental and seasonal characteristics in Ubatuba, Brazil, in two seasons (winter and summer). 132 soil samples were collected for parasite analysis utilizing Rugai's method and the sedimentation adapted method. Our results showed positivity in 62% of the samples for at least one parasite in the urban beach and no parasitic structures on the untouched beach. The positivity was higher in summer (85%) than in winter (51.7%). All samples were positive for both, helminths and protozoa. Seasonal influence was noted regarding the presence of STH while for protozoa this influence was not observed. The parasitic structures most found were larvae of hookworms (35%) and Toxocara eggs (31.7%). We also noted the presence of Strongyloides sp, Ascaris lumbricoides, coccidia, Dipylidium caninum, Entamoeba hystolitica/dispar, Endolimax nana, Entamoeba coli, Giardia sp, Toxascaris leonina, Trichuris sp and Dibothricephalus latus. There was a positive correlation between temperature and the presence of STH in the sand samples. Most of the collection sites on the urban beach presented dogs or canine traces and garbage in both seasons. There was an association between the presence of dogs or their traces and parasitic structures. In conclusion, seasonality, urbanization and the presence of pets on beaches can potentially favor environmental contamination by parasites increasing the risk of transmission of zoonotic and parasitic diseases.

Enteroparasitos em amostras de Lactuca sativa em um município no estado de Minas Gerais / Enteroparasites from samples of Lactuca sativa in a city in the state of Minas Gerais / Enteroparásitos en muestras de Lactuca sativa en un municipio en el estado de Minas Gerais

Investigou-se a presença de formas evolutivas de enteroparasitos em alfaces (Lactuca sativa) vendidas em diferentes áreas de distribuição urbanas em Ituiutaba, Minas Gerais. Foram analisados 72 pés de alface, utilizando as técnicas de sedimentação espontânea e de Ritchie, com o intuito de encontrar cistos e ovos de enteroparasitos. Observou-se a presença de enteroparasitos em 75% das amostras oriundas de sacolões, sendo, Endolimax nana (90,7%), ascarídeos (29,6%), ancilostomídeos (18,5%), Strongyloides sp. (16,7%), Entamoeba histolytica/E. dispar (9,2%) e Entamoeba coli (3,7%). Das amostras advindas das feiras livres, 16,7% foram positivas, sendo, E. nana (91,7%), ancilostomídeos (33,3%), ascarídeos (25%), E. histolytica/E. dispar (16,7%) e Strongyloides sp. (8,3%). Quanto às alfaces da horta, 8,4% mostraram-se positivas, sendo, E. nana (66,6%), ascarídeos (50%), Strongyloides sp. (16,7%), E. histolytica/E. dispar (16,7%) e Toxocara sp. (16,7%). As alfaces comercializadas em diferentes estabelecimentos da área estudada apresentaram condições de higiene, manipulação e acondicionamento inadequados.(AU)

The presence of enteroparasite forms in lettuce (Lactuca sativa) sold in different urban distribution areas in the city of Ituiutaba, Minas Gerais, was investigated. Seventy-two lettuce samples were analyzed, using spontaneous sedimentation and Ritchie techniques, searching for enteroparasite cysts and eggs. The presence of enteroparasites was observed in 75% of the samples from supermarkets, being Endolimax nana (90.7%), ascarids (29.6%), hookworms (18.5%), Strongyloides sp. (16.7%), Entamoeba histolytica/E. dispar (9.2%), and Entamoeba coli (3.7%). On samples obtained from street markets, 16.7% presented positive results, being E. nana (91.7%), hookworms (33.3%), ascarids (25%), E. histolytica/E. dispar (16.7%), and Strongyloides sp. (8.3%). As for the lettuce from the vegetable garden, 8.4% were positive, being, E. nana (66.6%), ascarids (50%), Strongyloides sp. (16.7%), E. histolytica/E. dispar (16.7%) and Toxocara sp. (16.7%). Lettuce sold in different stores in the studied area presented inappropriate hygiene, handling and packaging conditions.(AU)

Se investigó la presencia de formas evolutivas de enteroparásitos en lechuga (Lactuca sativa) vendidas en diferentes áreas de distribución urbana en Ituiutaba, Minas Gerais. Se analizaron 72 muestras de lechuga, utilizando las técnicas de sedimentación espontánea y de Ritchie, con el propósito de encontrar quistes y huevos de enteroparásitos. Se observó la presencia de enteroparásitos en 75% de las muestras procedentes en puntos de venta, siendo, Endolimax nana (90,7%), ascárideos (29,6%), ancilostomídeos (18,5%), Strongyloides sp. (16,7%), Entamoeba histolytica/E. dispar (9,2%) y Entamoeba coli (3,7%). De las muestras procedentes de las ferias libres, 16,7% fueron positivas, siendo, E. nana (91,7%), ancilostomídeos (33,3%), ascarídeos (25%), E. histolytica/E. dispar (16,7%) y Strongyloides sp. (8,3%). En cuanto a las lechugas de la huerta, 8,4% fueron positivas, siendo, E. nana (66,6%), ascarídeos (50%), Strongyloides sp. (16,7%), E. histolytica/E. dispar (16,7%) y Toxocara sp. (16,7%). Las lechugas comercializadas en diferentes establecimientos del área estudiada presentaron condiciones de higiene, manipulación y acondicionamiento inadecuados.(AU)

Prevalence of intestinal parasites in child day care centers: epidemiological significance

Intestinal parasites are among the most commonly found pathogens in humans and are considered a public health problem. The frequency of intestinal parasites was evaluated in children and staff at two day care centers in the city of Ituiutaba, Brazil and health encouragement activities were developed. For parasite detection in stool samples the Ritchie's technique and the Hoffman-Pons-Janer, Baermann-Moraes, Willis and Ziehl-Neelsen methods were applied. Of 140 children, 88 (62.9%) were positive, where Giardia intestinalis cysts were present in 65 children (51.1%), Entamoeba coli in 22 (17.3%), Endolimax nana in 12 (9.4%), Entamoeba histolytica/E. dispar in 9 (7%), Hymenolepis nana eggs were found in 5 (4%), hookworms in 4 (3.1%), Ascaris lumbricoides and Enterobius vermicularis in 3 (2.3%) and Strongyloides stercoralis, Trichuris trichiura, Cryptosporidium spp. and Iodamoeba butschlii in one child (0.8%). Among the 41 employees examined, 10 (24.3%) were positive, E. coli cysts were found in 6 samples (35.2%) and E. nana in 5 (29.4%), followed by E. histolytica/E. dispar in 4 (23.6%) and G. intestinalis and E. vermicularis eggs in (5.9%). The data show the high frequency of intestinal parasites in fecal samples analyzed and demonstrate the importance of adopting preventive measures such as health and education involving the community