An eco-epidemiological study of contamination of soil with infective forms of intestinal parasites.

The objectives of the present work were to screen topsoil samples collected from public squares in two cities within the Argentine Patagonia for the presence of infective forms of intestinal parasites and to examine the possible relationship between positive findings and the environmental, socioeconomic, and cultural conditions of that region. For this purpose we studied 13 public squares, their 13 custodians, and 44 family groups within their respective surrounding areas. Of the 226 topsoil samples analyzed, 44.