Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-nr4z6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-07T10:14:41.741Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

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: ocha.vip@tmd.ac.jp
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

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 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abe, N. & Yasukawa, A. (1997) Prevalence of Toxocara spp. eggs in sandpits of parks in Osaka city, Japan, with notes on the prevention of egg contamination by fence construction. Journal of Veterinary Medical Science 59, 79–80.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Akao, N., Tomoda, M., Hayashi, E., Suzuki, R., Shimizu-Suganuma, M., Shichinohe, K. & Fujita, K. (2003) Cerebellar ataxia due to Toxocara infection in Mongolian gerbils, Meriones unguiculatus. Veterinary Parasitology 113, 229–237.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Borecka, A. (2004) Differentiation of Toxocara spp. eggs isolated from the soil by the PCR-linked RFLP method. Helminthologia 41, 185–187.Google Scholar
Borecka, A. & Gawor, J. (2008) Modification of gDNA extraction from soil for PCR designed for the routine examination of soil samples contaminated with Toxocara spp. eggs. Journal of Helminthology 82, 119–122.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cox, D.M. & Holland, C.V. (2001) Influence of mouse strain, infective dose and larval burden in the brain on activity in Toxocara-infected mice. Journal of Helminthology 75, 23–32.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dubna, S., Langrova, I., Jankovska, I., Vadlejch, J., Pekar, S., Napravnik, J. & Fechtner, J. (2007) Contamination of soil with Toxocara eggs in urban (Prague) and rural areas in the Czech Republic. Veterinary Parasitology 144, 81–86.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Duprez, T.P., Bigaignon, G., Delgrange, E., Desfontaines, P., Hermans, M., Vervoort, T., Sindic, C.J. & Buysschaert, M. (1996) MRI of cervical cord lesions and their resolution in Toxocara canis myelopathy. Neuroradiology 38, 792–795.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Epe, C., Meuwissen, M., Stoye, M. & Schnieder, T. (1999) Transmission trials, ITS2-PCR and RAPD-PCR show identity of Toxocara canis isolates from red fox and dog. Veterinary Parasitology 84, 101–112.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Finsterer, J., Kallab, V. & Auer, H. (2010) Neurotoxocariasis associated with lower motor neuron disease. Report of one case. Revista médica de Chile 138, 483–486.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fisher, M. (2003) Toxocara cati: an underestimated zoonotic agent. Trends in Parasitology 19, 167–170.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fogt-Wyrwas, R., Jarosz, W. & Mizgajska-Wiktor, H. (2007) Utilizing a polymerase chain reaction method for the detection of Toxocara canis and T. cati eggs in soil. Journal of Helminthology 81, 75–78.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hirata, T. (1987) Ultrasonographic findings of hepatic granuloma by Toxocara cati migration. Nippon Igaku Hoshasen Gakkai Zasshi 47, 1606–1608(in Japanese).Google ScholarPubMed
Holland, C.V. & Cox, D.M. (2001) Toxocara in the mouse: a model for parasite-altered host behaviour? Journal of Helminthology 75, 125–135.Google Scholar
Jacobs, D.E., Zhu, X., Gasser, R.B. & Chilton, N.B. (1997) PCR-based methods for identification of potentially zoonotic ascaridoid parasites of the dog, fox and cat. Acta Tropica 68, 191–200.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jin, Z., Akao, N., Nobuta, T. & Ohta, N. (2008) An improved method for recovery of muscle-stage larvae from mice infected with Toxocara canis. Journal of Parasitology 94, 1164–1165.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lee, I.H., Kim, S.T., Oh, D.K., Kim, H.J., Kim, K.H., Jeon, P. & Byun, H.S. (2010) MRI findings of spinal visceral larva migrans of Toxocara canis. European Journal of Radiology 75, 236–240.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Macuhova, K., Kumagai, T., Akao, N. & Ohta, N. (2010) Loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay for detection and discrimination of Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati eggs directly from sand samples. Journal of Parasitology 96, 1224–1227.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Matsuo, J. & Nakashio, S. (2005) Prevalence of fecal contamination in sandpits in public parks in Sapporo City, Japan. Veterinary Parasitology 128, 115–119.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mitsugi, K., Umei, T., Inoue, T., Sumida, I. & Hanada, M. (1988) Visceral larva migrans by Toxocara cati with multiple nodules in liver. Journal of Japanese Society of Internal Medicine 77, 1742–1743(in Japanese).Google ScholarPubMed
Mizgajska, H. (2001) Eggs of Toxocara spp. in the environment and their public health implications. Journal of Helminthology 75, 147–151.Google ScholarPubMed
Nishikata, H., Hirata, Y., Shimamura, R., Dohmen, K., Kudo, J., Ishibashi, H., Onizuka, H. & Oda, M. (1991) A case of visceral larva migrans by Toxocara cati infection with multiple liver granuloma. Nippon Shokakibyo Gakkai Zasshi 88, 2697–2702(in Japanese with English abstract).Google ScholarPubMed
Okamoto, T. (1986) Experimental studies of visceral larva migrans with Toxocara tanuki Yamaguti, 1941. Japanese Journal of Parasitology 35, 355–364(in Japanese with English abstract).Google Scholar
Prociv, P. (1989) Observations on the post-mortem migration of nematode larvae and its role in tissue digestion techniques. Journal of Helminthology 63, 281–286.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Prokopic, J. & Figallova, V. (1982) Migration of some roundworm species in experimentally infected white mice. Folia Parasitologica (Praha) 29, 309–313.Google ScholarPubMed
Sakai, R., Kawashima, H., Shibui, H., Kamata, K., Kambara, C. & Matsuoka, H. (1998) Toxocara cati-induced ocular toxocariasis. Archives of Ophthalmology 116, 1686–1687.Google ScholarPubMed
Shimokawa, H., Nakashima, T., Akagi, K., Omae, T. & Tsuji, M. (1982) Visceral larva migrans by Toxocara cati. Fukuoka Igaku Zasshi 73, 64–69(in Japanese).Google ScholarPubMed
Smith, H., Holland, C., Taylor, M., Magnaval, J.F., Schantz, P. & Maizels, R. (2009) How common is human toxocariasis? Towards standardizing our knowledge. Trends in Parasitology 25, 182–188.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Takeda, M., Tanabe, K., Nishi, Y., Tsuji, M. & Iwanaga, Y. (1975) Familial cases of Toxocara cati infection. Nippon Rinsho 33, 3558–3565.Google ScholarPubMed
Talvik, H., Moks, E., Magi, E., Jarvis, T. & Miller, I. (2006) Distribution of Toxocara infection in the environment and in definitive and paratenic hosts in Estonia. Acta Veterinaria Hungarica 54, 399–406.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Uga, S. (1993) Prevalence of Toxocara eggs and number of faecal deposits from dogs and cats in sandpits of public parks in Japan. Journal of Helminthology 67, 78–82.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Uga, S. & Kataoka, N. (1995) Measures to control Toxocara egg contamination in sandpits of public parks. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 52, 21–24.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Uga, S., Matsumura, T., Aoki, N. & Kataoka, N. (1989) Prevalence of Toxocara species eggs in the sandpits of public parks in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Japanese Journal of Parasitology 38, 280–284.Google Scholar
Uga, S., Matsuo, J., Kimura, D., Rai, S.K., Koshino, Y. & Igarashi, K. (2000) Differentiation of Toxocara canis and T. cati eggs by light and scanning electron microscopy. Veterinary Parasitology 92, 287–294.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wiwanitkit, V. & Waenlor, W. (2004) The frequency rate of Toxocara species contamination in soil samples from public yards in a urban area ‘Payathai’, Bangkok, Thailand. Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo 46, 113–114.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhu, X.Q., Jacobs, D.E., Chilton, N.B., Sani, R.A., Cheng, N.A. & Gasser, R.B. (1998) Molecular characterization of a Toxocara variant from cats in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Parasitology 117, 155–164.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed