Environmental contamination by parasitic forms in a socially vulnerable community in southern Rio Grande do Sul state: a serious public health problem

• Main Authors: Gabriela de Almeida Capella, Natália Berne Pinto, Soliane Carra Perera, Claudia Giordani, Micaele Quintana de Moura, Leonardo Mortagua de Castro, Tairan Ourique Motta, Débora de Campos Añaña, Karina Affeldt Guterres, Cristine Cioato da Silva, Marlete Brum Cleff
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade de São Paulo 2018-07-01
• Series: Brazilian Journal of Veterinary Research and Animal Science
• Subjects: Contamination; Soil; Parasites; Zoonosis
• Online Access: http://www.revistas.usp.br/bjvras/article/view/132007
• ISSN: 1413-9596; 1678-4456

vulnerability. The fact that these people share the environment with animals promotes the establishment of zoonotic parasitic infections, as well as the resultant parasitic cycles. Thus, parasites present in the environment must be identified, so that control measures can be recommended. In this context, this study’s objective was to evaluate environmental contamination by parasitic forms in a socially vulnerable community in southern Rio Grande do Sul. A total of 100 soil samples collected from the community were processed by a sodium dichromate centrifuge-flotation technique and analyzed by a compound microscope (40X objective) for the identification of parasite eggs, oocysts and cysts. All points were positive for two or more parasites, with the identification of 33.59% non-identified coccidian oocysts, Strongylida (25.4%), Ascaridida (21.31%), Trichuris spp. (8.19%), Toxocara spp. (3.27%), Amoebas (4.08%), Dioctophyma renale (2.45%), and Giardia spp. (1.63%). The presence of parasitic forms in all points analyzed surpasses other studies of environmental contamination carried out in the southern region of Brazil. In addition, the identification of several parasitic forms with zoonotic potential is concerning, since it shows the possibility of parasitic transmission to humans and other animals. In view of the results, the conclusion is that the environment analyzed is contaminated by parasitic forms, constituting a serious public health problem. Therefore, implementing educational and preventive measures in the community to control parasites is of crucial importance.