[Soil contamination with Toxocara spp. eggs in the Katowice area and its environs]. / Zanieczyszczenie gleby jajami Toxocara spp. na terenie miasta Katowice.

Toxocara spp. is a nematode which causes "larvae migrans visceralis" syndrome in human, especially in children. Cats and dogs are the source of infective eggs of this parasite in human environment. The eggs appear in a soil of urban and rural areas in large number. We have investigated samples of a soil from the recreation areas in Katowice city and its suburbs. The goal of this study was to determine the degree of soil contamination with eggs of Toxocara spp. Of 157 samples examined 79 (50%) contained the eggs. The highest number of eggs has been found in samples collected from landscapes, particulary from the lawn and playgrounds.