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EDITORIALS: J P Dubey Sources of Toxoplasma gondii infection in pregnancy BMJ 2000; 321: 127-128 [Full text]

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Sand boxes where children play: a danger to avoid.

Denise Araújo Lapa Pedreira   (17 July 2000)

Sand boxes where children play: a danger to avoid. 17 July 2000
Denise Araújo Lapa Pedreira, Fetal Medicine Medical Doctor Laboratório Fleury - São Paulo - Brazil Send response to journal: Re: Sand boxes where children play: a danger to avoid.	I totally agree with Dubey, that soil contamined with cat feces is a very important route of transmission. The last two seroconverion cases that I have interviewed had in common the place were their children used to play. Both mothers refered to take the previous child to play in the sand box of the same club. They referred that they used to see cats around the place. A survey was conducted in the place and Toxoplasma was found in the sand. Kids, when playing with sand, use to take home sand everywhere: in their shoes, clothes, hair and even inside their ears. I believe this may be an important source of contamination. Because mohers have to clean that and may became contaminated that way. So in a next survey I would include the women´s parity and I would ask if she herself or her children have contact with sand in parks or school/daycare centre. Also, I would include this specific topic in the list of preventive measures against the disease: Wash hands after cleaning your kid when they return from playing with sand.