Læknablaðið - 15.09.1996, Page 15

LÆKNABLAÐIÐ 1996; 82
627
Um katta- og hundasníkjudýr í
sandkössum
Heiðdís Smáradóttir, Karl Skírnisson
Smáradóttir H, Skírnisson K
Zoonotic parasites of cats and dogs found in play-
ground sandboxes in the Reykjavík area, Iceland
Læknablaðið 1996; 82: 627-34
Recent surveys on the parasites of household cats
and dogs in Iceland have revealed the zoonotic pro-
tozoans Cryptosporidium parvum and Toxoplasma
gondii and the zoonotic nematodes Toxocara cati
and T. canis. Furthermore, a Giardia sp., recently
found in cats in Iceland, is also suspected to be a
zoonotic parasite.
In Iceland children frequently play in open sand-
boxes commonly found at kindergartens, in public
areas or in private gardens. During the cold months
of the year, when the soil is frequently frozen, cats
frequently visit these sandboxes and dig their faeces
in the dry and loose sand.
To evaluate the risk of zoonotic infections, altogeth-
er 32 sandboxes in the Reykjavík area in SW-Iceland
were examined for the presence of cat and dog pro-
tozoan and helminth parasites. Systematically col-
lected sand samples (30 ml sand from every square
meter of each sandbox), altogether 411 samples,
were examined by a modified salt flotation tech-
nique. Furthermore, cat and dog faeces were col-
lected from the surface of the sandboxes and also by
sieving approximately five liters of sand from every
square meter of each sandbox. The faecal samples
found were examined by salt flotation and the for-
malin-ethylacetate concentration method.
Frá Tilraunastöð Háskóla íslands í meinafræðum. Fyrir-
spurnir og bréfaskipti: Karl Skírnisson, Tilraunastöð Há-
skóla Islands f meinafræði að Keldum, 112 Reykjavík.
Tölvupóstur karlsk@rhi.hi.is
Lykilorð: Sandkassar, kattasnikjudýr, hundasníkjudýr,
mannasníkjudýr.
Eggs of Toxocara cati were found in three sandboxes
(9%), eggs of Toxascaris leonina in two (6%) and
eggs of Toxocara cati in one (3%). Faeces from cats
or dogs were found in 21 sandboxes (66%). Cysts of
Toxoplasma gondii and Giardia sp. were found in
faeces from one sandbox each (5%).
It is concluded that there is a potential risk for
humans to obtain at least three parasitic diseases
(cryptosporidiosis, toxoplasmosis, toxascarosis) and
probably also giardiosis from sandboxes in Iceland.
Preventive measures which minimize the risk of hu-
man infection are suggested.
Key words: Sandpits, parasites, cats, dogs, hu-
mans, zoonosis.
Correspondence: Karl Skírnisson, Institute for Ex-
perimental Pathology, University of lceland, IS-112
Reykjavtk, lceland. E-mail: karlsk@rhi.hi.is
Ágrip
Tilgangur: Tilgangur rannsóknarinnar var
að kanna hvaða sníkjudýr er að finna í sand-
kössum á leiksvæðum barna hér á landi, ræða
hættuna sem mönnum stafar af hunda- og
kattasníkjudýrum og tilgreina leiðir sem miða
að því að minnka hættuna á því að menn verði
fyrir sníkjudýrasmiti frá hundum og köttum.
Efniviður og aðferðir: Leitað var að sníkju-
dýrum í 411 sandsýnum úr 32 sandkössum með
saltfleytiaðferð. Einnig var leitað að katta- og
hundaskít í sandkössunum og rannsakað með
saltfleytiaðferð og formalín-etýlasetat botn-
fellingaraðferð hvaða sníkjudýr voru í saurn-
um.
Niðurstöður: Egg kattaspóluorms Toxocara
cati fundust í sandsýnum úr þremur kössum
(9%), egg „ljónaspóluormsins“ Toxascaris
leottina í tveimur kössum (6%) og egg hunda-