Parasitic contamination in beaches sands: A negligence public health problem

Abstract

Stray dogs can be important sources of human infections, especially in the contamination of beach sands. Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the presence of parasites with zoonotic characteristics on Laguna beach, Santa Catarina. Sand samples from Mar Grosso beach were collected and analyzed at different seasons of the year between 2018 and 2019. The samples were processed at the Laboratory of the Center for Higher Education of the Southern Region (CERES) of the State University of Santa Catarina (UDESC), by the sedimentation method. The larvae present in the samples were immobilized using lugol and analyzed under a microscope. Of the 2000 sand samples, 19.10% had Ancylostoma spp. larvae, 7.25% of Toxocara spp. 1.75% both. The winter season had a higher occurrence of hookworm larvae with 30.6%, whereas the ascarid larvae in the summer had 18.8%. The average number of larvae per slide was 15 and all were alive. In the summer period it was observed that the number of larvae was higher and with more active behavior, observed before the use of lugol. Ancylostoma spp. survived for 62 days and 94 days of Toxocara spp. Eggs of Ancylostoma spp. and Toxocara spp. in the samples. The presence of eggs and larvae present in dog feces on the beach sand were present in all seasons of the year at different temperatures, so these animals transiting through the sand can be a threat to people who enjoy this environment for work or leisure.