Results of Monitoring for Toxocarosisinthe South of Russia
Toxocariasis is a widespread socially significant zoonotic helminthiasis. Infestation with human toxocariasis occurs through the ingestion of infected Toxocara eggs, which mainly accumulate in the soil. The aim of our study was long-term sanitary-parasitological and immunological observations of toxocariasis in a number of territories in southern Russia. For sanitary and parasitological analysis of soil from 2002 to 2019 in the territory of the Rostov region and the Republic of Adygea, 1664 samples were taken and examined. Determination of indicators of contamination of soil samples with eggs of helminths and invasiveness of Toxocara spp. carried out using the methods outlined in 4.2.2661-10 "Methods of sanitary and parasitological research". During the same period of time, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of 6831 blood serum of a conventionally healthy population of the Rostov region and the Republic of Adygea was carried out using the diagnostic test systems "Toksokara-IgG-IFA-BEST". According to the results of ELISA, high seroprevalence values were obtained, indicating the frequency of contact of the population with the causative agent of toxocariasis and indicating a possibly higher incidence rate than the officially registered one. The results of the conducted sanitary and parasitological studies, which showed a consistently high degree of contamination of the soils of the studied territories of southern Russia, indicate the continuing risk of infection of the population and animals with toxocariasis.