en انگل شناسی Parasitology گزارش کوتاه Brief Report <strong>Background and objectives</strong>: Soil contamination with <em>Toxocara</em> spp. eggs is the main source of human toxocariasis. The aim of this study was to determine rate of soil contamination with <em>Toxocara</em> spp. eggs in Yazd, central Iran.<br> <strong>Methods: </strong>During September 2014 to February 2015, a total of 220 soil samples were collected from public parks, primary schools, green areas, kindergartens, suburban areas, streets, residential complexes, backyards and a bus terminal in the city of Yazd, Yazd Province. Soil samples were investigated for the presences of <em>Toxocara</em> eggs by flotation technique using sucrose solution (1.2 g/cm³) and using light microscopy. Data analysis was carried out by SPSS (version 23) software package.<br> <strong>Results: </strong>A total of 220 soil samples from nine different places were examined. Of these samples, 51 (23.2%) were contaminated with <em>Toxocara</em> spp. eggs. The contamination rate was 26.3% in public parks, 19.2% in primary schools, 28.6% in green areas, 22.2% in kindergartens, 24% in suburban areas, 8.3% in streets, 18.8% in residential complexes, 19% in backyards and 28.6% in the bus terminal. There was no significant difference in the soil contamination rate with <em>Toxocara</em> spp. eggs between different sampling places (&chi;² = 3.096, d.f = 8 and P= 0.92) and sampling areas (&chi;²= 2.289, d.f = 2 and P= 0.318).<br> <strong>Conclusion: </strong>The high rate of soil contamination with <em>Toxocara</em> spp. eggs in Yazd emphasize on the need for preventive measures, such as improving sanitation, providing public health education and controlling stray dogs and cats near children play areas. Toxocara,Environmental Pollution,Yazd,Iran, 47 50 http://mlj.goums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-786-3&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Mohammad-Ali Mohaghegh mohaghegh1982@yahoo.com 100319475328460019459 100319475328460019459 No Department of Laboratory Sciences, School of Paramedical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran Roghayeh Norouzi roghayehnorouzi123@gmail.com 100319475328460019460 100319475328460019460 No Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran Abolghasem Siyadatpanah asiyadatpanah@yahoo.com 100319475328460019461 100319475328460019461 No Ferdows Paramedical School, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran Farzaneh Mirzaei mirzaei.farzaneh2015@yahoo.com 100319475328460019462 100319475328460019462 Yes Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran Ali Fatahi bafghi afbafghi@ssu.ac.ir 100319475328460019463 100319475328460019463 No Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran Seyed-Reza Mirbadie Mirbadie@gmail.com 100319475328460019464 100319475328460019464 No School of Medicine, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran