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Contamination, distribution and pathogenicity of Toxocara canis and T. cati eggs from sandpits in Tokyo, Japan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2012

K. Macuhova ,
N. Akao ,
Y. Fujinami ,
T. Kumagai  and
N. Ohta
K. Macuhova
Affiliation:
Section of Environmental Parasitology, Graduate School of Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45, Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo113-8519, Japan
N. Akao*
Affiliation:
Section of Environmental Parasitology, Graduate School of Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45, Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo113-8519, Japan
Y. Fujinami
Affiliation:
Section of Environmental Parasitology, Graduate School of Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45, Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo113-8519, Japan
T. Kumagai
Affiliation:
Section of Environmental Parasitology, Graduate School of Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45, Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo113-8519, Japan
N. Ohta
Affiliation:
Section of Environmental Parasitology, Graduate School of Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45, Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo113-8519, Japan
*
* E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

The contamination, distribution and pathogenicity of Toxocara canis and T. cati eggs in sandpits in the Tokyo metropolitan area, Japan, are described. A total of 34 sandpits were examined, 14 of which were contaminated with T. cati eggs, as assessed by the floatation method and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. Two naturally contaminated sandpits were investigated to determine the vertical and horizontal distribution of eggs, and an inverse relationship between the sand depth and number of eggs was observed. To examine the pathogenicity of the eggs, three ICR mice were inoculated with 300 eggs, which were recovered from sandpits. The mice exhibited eosinophilia in the peripheral blood and IgG antibody production in the sera after 3 weeks of infection. Most migrating larvae were recovered from carcasses, although three were found in the brains of two infected mice. These three larvae were determined to be T. canis by PCR, revealing that not only T. cati, but also T. canis eggs could be found in sandpits and, further, that eggs recovered from sandpits have the ability to invade a paratenic host.

Type
Research Papers
Information
Journal of Helminthology , Volume 87 , Issue 3 , September 2013 , pp. 271 - 276
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012 

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