Presence of parasitic forms of zoonotic importance in beach sand that affect the Parque Nacional Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano

Background. The Veracruz coastal zone in Mexico has a vast coastline where different tourist (use of beaches), economic (urban-port, commercial, and gastronomic), social, cultural, and sports activities are carried out. In Mexico, the only regulation that refers to the quality of beaches is NMX-AA-120-SCFI-2016, in which the absence of fecal matter is determined as an indicator of its sanitary quality. However, the inadequate management of fecal material in recreational beaches compromises public health and contributes to water and sand quality deterioration. Objective. To evaluate the presence of parasitic forms of zoonotic importance in the sand of the beaches of the Veracruz-Boca del Río metropolitan area that affect the Veracruz Reef System National Park. Methods. A total of 100 samples of beach sand and 19 samples of fecal matter were taken in the period from June to October 2021. The analyzes were carried out at the Boca del Río Technological Institute/Aquatic Resources Research Laboratory by the Willis flotation technique and cup sedimentation. The presence of helminths was identified and quantified as bioindicators of fecal matter contamination. Results. Of the sand samples, 28 % were positive for parasitic forms with a recovery of 112 parasitic forms, of which 67.85 % correspond to parasites of the genus Strongyloides sp. and Hookworms. 32.35 % corresponds to non-pathogenic parasites for humans. Of the fecal matter samples collected, only 42.1 % showed positivity to the parasitized forms mentioned above. Conclusions. The presence of parasitic pathogenic forms in the sand samples indicates fecal contamination, which compromises the sanitary and environmental quality of the beach sand of the Veracruz-Boca del Río metropolitan area and the Veracruz Reef System National Park.