Environmental contamination: the influence of seasonality in the occurrence of geohelminths in a public area of Fortaleza, Ceara

Introduction: Contamination of public areas by infectious forms of zoonotic parasites is a serious public health problem worldwide. A high number of stray animals, seasonality and anthropization of the environment are important elements in the spread of these parasitic infections. Objective: The present study evaluated the influence of seasonality on soil contamination in a public area in the city of Fortaleza, Ceara, by two genera of geohelminths (Toxocara spp and Ancylostoma spp). Method: 480 soil samples were collected in a public area, corresponding to 240 samples during the dry season and 240 samples in the rainy season in the city of Fortaleza. They were processed and analyzed individually by the methods of Rugai and Willis. Results: The results reveal a high rate of parasitic contamination in the analyzed soil samples (82.5%). The seasonal comparison of contamination showed a significant difference (p < 0.05) between the percentage of samples contaminated during the dry season (96.7%) and the samples from the rainy season (68.3%). Microscopic analysis showed a predominance of eggs of Toxocara spp. and Ancylostoma spp. Conclusions: The results show a high degree of parasitic contamination of the soil, influenced by the rainfall indexes of the studied area.