Soil Contamination with Toxocara Eggs in Public Schools in Rural Areas of Southern Thailand
Soil is considered the primary source of Toxocara transmission to humans, especially children. The status of soil contamination with Toxocara eggs in southern Thailand is unknown. This study aimed at estimating the soil contamination with Toxocara eggs in public schools in Nakhon Si Thammarat provin...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2020-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Tropical Medicine |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/9659640 |
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| author | Nonthapan Phasuk Ratee Kache Kanjana Thongtup Saowalee Boonmuang Chuchard Punsawad |
| author_facet | Nonthapan Phasuk Ratee Kache Kanjana Thongtup Saowalee Boonmuang Chuchard Punsawad |
| author_sort | Nonthapan Phasuk |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Soil is considered the primary source of Toxocara transmission to humans, especially children. The status of soil contamination with Toxocara eggs in southern Thailand is unknown. This study aimed at estimating the soil contamination with Toxocara eggs in public schools in Nakhon Si Thammarat province in southern Thailand. Soil samples were collected from 12 public schools between August and September 2017. At each site, ten soil samples were collected from the following five types of locations: (1) playgrounds, (2) football fields, (3) sidewalks, (4) schoolyards, and (5) areas around cafeterias. In total, 120 samples were examined for Toxocara eggs with a modified flotation method using a sucrose solution. Toxocara eggs were detected in 8 (66.7%) of the 12 studied public schools. Of the 120 soil samples, 22 (18.3%; 95% CI: 11.9, 26.4) were contaminated with Toxocara eggs. The highest levels of Toxocara egg contamination were observed in playgrounds (41.7%; 95% CI: 22.1, 63.4), followed by football fields (20.8%; 95% CI: 7.1, 42.2), sidewalks (12.5%; 95% CI: 2.7, 32.4), and schoolyards (12.5%; 95% CI: 2.7, 32.4). There were significant differences in the distribution of Toxocara eggs across location types p<0.05. The findings demonstrated that the soil samples from public schools were contaminated with Toxocara eggs. Playgrounds were the most heavily contaminated locations. Teaching children proper handwashing steps and discouraging geophagia should be implemented to reduce the distribution of Toxocara and limit future Toxocara infections. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b3991bc485474d7e881301957efb1973 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1687-9686 1687-9694 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2020-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Tropical Medicine |
| spelling | doaj-art-b3991bc485474d7e881301957efb19732025-02-03T01:05:07ZengWileyJournal of Tropical Medicine1687-96861687-96942020-01-01202010.1155/2020/96596409659640Soil Contamination with Toxocara Eggs in Public Schools in Rural Areas of Southern ThailandNonthapan Phasuk0Ratee Kache1Kanjana Thongtup2Saowalee Boonmuang3Chuchard Punsawad4School of Medicine, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, ThailandSchool of Medicine, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, ThailandSchool of Medicine, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, ThailandSchool of Medicine, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, ThailandSchool of Medicine, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, ThailandSoil is considered the primary source of Toxocara transmission to humans, especially children. The status of soil contamination with Toxocara eggs in southern Thailand is unknown. This study aimed at estimating the soil contamination with Toxocara eggs in public schools in Nakhon Si Thammarat province in southern Thailand. Soil samples were collected from 12 public schools between August and September 2017. At each site, ten soil samples were collected from the following five types of locations: (1) playgrounds, (2) football fields, (3) sidewalks, (4) schoolyards, and (5) areas around cafeterias. In total, 120 samples were examined for Toxocara eggs with a modified flotation method using a sucrose solution. Toxocara eggs were detected in 8 (66.7%) of the 12 studied public schools. Of the 120 soil samples, 22 (18.3%; 95% CI: 11.9, 26.4) were contaminated with Toxocara eggs. The highest levels of Toxocara egg contamination were observed in playgrounds (41.7%; 95% CI: 22.1, 63.4), followed by football fields (20.8%; 95% CI: 7.1, 42.2), sidewalks (12.5%; 95% CI: 2.7, 32.4), and schoolyards (12.5%; 95% CI: 2.7, 32.4). There were significant differences in the distribution of Toxocara eggs across location types p<0.05. The findings demonstrated that the soil samples from public schools were contaminated with Toxocara eggs. Playgrounds were the most heavily contaminated locations. Teaching children proper handwashing steps and discouraging geophagia should be implemented to reduce the distribution of Toxocara and limit future Toxocara infections.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/9659640 |
| spellingShingle | Nonthapan Phasuk Ratee Kache Kanjana Thongtup Saowalee Boonmuang Chuchard Punsawad Soil Contamination with Toxocara Eggs in Public Schools in Rural Areas of Southern Thailand Journal of Tropical Medicine |
| title | Soil Contamination with Toxocara Eggs in Public Schools in Rural Areas of Southern Thailand |
| title_full | Soil Contamination with Toxocara Eggs in Public Schools in Rural Areas of Southern Thailand |
| title_fullStr | Soil Contamination with Toxocara Eggs in Public Schools in Rural Areas of Southern Thailand |
| title_full_unstemmed | Soil Contamination with Toxocara Eggs in Public Schools in Rural Areas of Southern Thailand |
| title_short | Soil Contamination with Toxocara Eggs in Public Schools in Rural Areas of Southern Thailand |
| title_sort | soil contamination with toxocara eggs in public schools in rural areas of southern thailand |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/9659640 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nonthapanphasuk soilcontaminationwithtoxocaraeggsinpublicschoolsinruralareasofsouthernthailand AT rateekache soilcontaminationwithtoxocaraeggsinpublicschoolsinruralareasofsouthernthailand AT kanjanathongtup soilcontaminationwithtoxocaraeggsinpublicschoolsinruralareasofsouthernthailand AT saowaleeboonmuang soilcontaminationwithtoxocaraeggsinpublicschoolsinruralareasofsouthernthailand AT chuchardpunsawad soilcontaminationwithtoxocaraeggsinpublicschoolsinruralareasofsouthernthailand |