Parasites of the digestive tract of sheep and goats from organic farms in Western Pomerania, Poland

The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and intensity of parasite infection of the digestive tract in sheep and goats from the West Pomerania region following anti-parasite treatment. Feces were freely collected from sheep and goats kept on organic farms and subjected to analysis by the Willis-Schlaf and McMaster's flotation methods. The mean extensity of infection by gastrointestinal parasites in both sheep and goats was found to be 100%. Both sheep and goats displayed the presence of gastrointestinal nematodes, Eimeria protozoa and Moniezia spp. tapeworms. The intensity of infection of sheep and goats by these parasites was arranged as follows: gastrointestinal nematodes > Eimeria protozoa > Moniezia tapeworms. Our findings confirm that a problem exists regarding the occurrence of parasites of the digestive tract among sheep and goats kept under organic conditions. Therefore, correct implementation of prophylactic programmes should be emphasised to ensure the control or elimination of parasites in animals, particularly those kept on pasture.

Soil contamination with geohelminths in children's play areas in Szczecin, Poland

The presence of invasive forms of parasites in the soil represents a potential threat to public health, especially for children. The aim of the study was to determine the degree of contamination with geohelminth eggs of soil samples collected from sandpits and playgrounds in the Szczecin area. The findings showed overall prevalence of soil samples contaminated with geohelminth eggs in the soil and sand of play areas in Szczecin at 41.4%. Four species of parasites have been identified: Toxocara spp., Toxascaris leonina, Dipylidium caninum and Trichuris spp. The greatest proportion of infected samples from sandpits contained Toxocara spp. eggs, comprising 22.7% of samples; however, the dominant parasite found in the samples from the play areas was Toxascaris leonina (28.6%). As contamination of the soil with parasite eggs constitutes a risk of infection with parasitic diseases in humans, it is necessary to monitor the presence of geohelminth eggs in soil and to implement activities aimed at prevention of their occurrence.