Risk of Environmental Contamination by Gastrointestinal Parasites in Public Areas of the Central Plateau Microregion of Brazil: A Public Health Concern

The risk of zoonotic parasitic infections is closely linked to direct and indirect interactions between animals and humans. The mutual coexistence of species in public spaces predisposes individuals to gastrointestinal parasitosis owing to various social and hygienic-sanitary factors. This study aimed to assess the risk of environmental contamination by gastrointestinal parasites in fecal samples collected from parks and public squares in 18 municipalities located in a microregion of the central plateau of Brazil, correlating the collection with the population size of each municipality. We collected 536 soil fecal samples from 117 randomly selected public areas across a 56,111.874 km² region. Eggs, cysts, and oocysts were detected using the Willis flotation technique and the Hoffman's spontaneous sedimentation method. The Hoffman's analysis revealed that 70.3% of the fecal samples were infected across 91.5% of the sampled areas. Identified parasites included the members of the family Ancylostomatidae (56.5%), <i>Toxocara</i> spp. (6.2%), <i>Trichuris</i> spp. (1.7%), <i>Strongyloides</i> spp. (0.2%), <i>Dipylidium caninum</i> (25.8%), <i>Spirometra</i> spp. (0.4%), Taeniidae (0.2%), <i>Platynosomum fastosum</i> (0.6%), Trematoda (0.2%), <i>Giardia</i> spp. (3.2%), <i>Cystoisospora</i> spp. (5.6%), <i>Sarcocystis</i> spp. (0.2%), and <i>Entamoeba</i> spp. (2.4%). The presence of positive fecal samples in public areas and municipalities correlated with populations of up to 10,000 inhabitants (<i>p</i> = 0.023). Areas contaminated with feces were 63.4% more likely to contain parasites than other areas (odds ratio 1.6336). Favorable environmental factors combined with inadequate sanitary management contribute to a high risk of environmental contamination, representing a significant zoonotic potential and highlighting the need for improved public health policies and preventive measures.