Factors affecting canine fecal and parasitic contamination of public green spaces of Buenos Aires city, Argentina, and visitors’ perception of such contamination

Abstract

Canine fecal contamination in public green areas is difficult to control. Our objectives were to assess: (i) the relationship between fecal contamination in public green spaces of Buenos Aires (Argentina) and the type of green space (boulevard/square/park), considering their area, presence/absence of control measures, and human population density in the surroundings (high or low); (ii) the perception of people of such contamination and (iii) the frequency of parasites in dog feces. In each green space (n = 26), feces were counted in thirty 25-m2 plots randomly located. The opinion survey consisted of asking people (358) what their perception of fecal contamination was, whether it bothered them and whether they thought it was hazardous to the dogs’ or people’ health. Canine fecal samples randomly collected (n = 112) were concentrated and examined microscopically. Mixed-effect generalized linear models were fitted to evaluate the effect of selected variables on fecal contamination. People’s perception of human and canine health risks were assessed by logistic regression. Canine fecal contamination was lower in squares with control measures and in parks with control measures located in densely populated areas, and higher in boulevards located in densely populated areas. The visitor’s perception was that feces were associated with dirtiness (77%) and odor (30.8%). Parasites were detected in 51.8% of fecal samples. Our results confirm that environmental control measures decrease canine fecal contamination of public green spaces, and that more than 65% of the people interviewed do not relate fecal contamination to risks to human/dog health.

Environmental Contamination by Dog Feces in Touristic Areas of Italy: Parasitological Aspects and Zoonotic Hazards

“…In Latin America, parasitological analysis of pet feces collected from public spaces in urban areas showed 37.0% to 100.0% of these to be positive for a wide range of intestinal parasites. 8,13,22,[36][37][38][39][40] Similarly, fecal samples collected in Nigeria had a parasite prevalence of 43.3%, and a prevalence of 78.9% was found in Malaysia. 10,41 A more recent study reported a prevalence of 19.1% in stool samples collected in urban streets and farms in Iran.…”

“…Second, besides the dispersal of potentially pathogenic microorganisms, inadequate pet feces disposal leading to the spread of zoonotic parasites in urban areas has more and more been shown to be a legitimate concern. [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] Overall, public spaces including gardens, streets, roadways, and sidewalks are common sites of animal fecal contamination. Furthermore, public squares, playgrounds, parks, and sandpits may be important sources for pet-borne parasites.…”

“…Furthermore, public squares, playgrounds, parks, and sandpits may be important sources for pet-borne parasites. 5,6,8,10,13,14 The vast majority of the endoparasites found in cats and dogs have a direct life cycle where adult parasites typically have an enormous reproductive capacity, producing a vast number of eggs or oocysts. Such parasitic load released through feces of the host represents the most important pathway of environmental contamination and a source of new infection.…”

Human density, economic level and frequency of canine helminths in Buenos Aires

“…In most urban environments, it is common to see that people go to public green spaces for their dogs to defecate there. Since the dog owners do not usually pick up the faeces of their dogs or deworm their dogs periodically, green spaces have become an important source of infective stages for the transmission of canine parasites, some of which have zoonotic potential (Rubel & Wisnivesky, 2010; Wang et al ., 2012; Smith et al ., 2014; Ferreira et al ., 2017; Rubel et al ., 2019). In Argentina, 92% of the population lives in cities (Clarín Newspaper, 2011).…”

“…The canine faecal contamination and the prevalence of parasites in the faeces in public spaces such as sidewalks and green spaces have been found to be related to the human density (HD) (Rubel & Wisnivesky, 2005, 2010; Rinaldi et al ., 2006; Veneziano et al ., 2006; Rubel et al ., 2019). It seems clear that the risk of parasitic transmission both between dogs and between dogs and humans increases as canine faecal contamination in public spaces increases (Uga, 1993; Mizgajska-Wiktor & Uga, 2006; Poglayen & Marchesi, 2006; Morgan et al ., 2013; Otero et al ., 2018).…”