Toxocara: Protecting pets and improving the lives of people.

Toxocara sp. are zoonotic parasitic roundworms that cause infection and morbidity in both developed and developing countries. In humans, infection is thought to be most common in children, particularly those living in poverty, and usually results from consumption of soil contaminated with parasite eggs deposited by dog or cat faeces.

Toxocara species environmental contamination of public spaces in New York City.

Human toxocariasis has been identified as an under-diagnosed parasitic zoonosis and health disparity of significant public health importance in the United States due to its high seropositivity among socioeconomically disadvantaged groups, and possible links to cognitive and developmental delays. Through microscopy and quantitative PCR, we detected that Toxocara eggs are widespread in New York City public spaces, with evidence of significant levels of contamination in all five boroughs. The Bronx had the highest contamination rate (66.