Author/Authors :
Solymane، Hadis نويسنده Department of Microbiology, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran. , , Eslamirad، Zahra نويسنده Department of Parasitology, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran Eslamirad, Zahra , Bayat، Mansour نويسنده Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran , , Hajihossein، Reza نويسنده Department of Parasitology, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran Hajihossein, Reza
Abstract :
Background and Aim: Soil structure is mainly composed of sand, silt, clay, and
organic materials. Organisms can live in the soil. The large number of stray cats in
the cities of Iran is a major environmental and health problem. Toxoplasma
oocysts are shed with the feces of cats, so soil is known as a potential source of
transmission of toxoplasmosis. The aim of this study was to determine the soil
contamination with Toxoplasma gondii oocyst in the public parks of the Arak city.
Methods: Sixty soil samples were collected from 15 main parks of Arak city.
Four soil samples from the childrenʹs playground, a potting place, around trash
bins, and around toilets were taken. Oocyst was isolated from soil by floatation in
saturated sucrose. Floating debris was tested by two methods: staining by the
modified Ziehl-Neelsen technique and PCR. The target of PCR was the 122 bp
fragment of the B1 gene.
Results: From 60 soil samples of public parks of Arak city, 8 samples (13%) were
suspected to Toxoplasma oocyst contamination in staining smears. Only 3 samples
(5%) of 60 samples were positive in PCR. The results showed that the staining
method is not a good method to detect oocysts in the soil because the diversity of
oocyst in soil is very high and similar in appearance.
Conclusion: This study showed soils of public parks in the Arak city were
contaminated to oocyst of Toxoplasma. Also molecular method for the detection
of parasites in the soil was more suitable than staining method.
