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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2002

[Toxocariasis in Poznan region, Poland, in years 1990-2000].

The results of multidisciplinary studies on toxocariasis in Poznan region, Poland carried out in 1990-2000 in co-operation with CDC, Atlanta GA, USA are summarised as follows. In Poznan region toxocariasis in dogs, cats and foxes is common. Environmental contamination with Toxocara spp. eggs was higher in courtyards between apartment houses in the centres of cities than in sandboxes and in rural or recreational areas. High percentage of the T. cati eggs found raises the yet unanswered question how frequent is T. cati toxocariasis in humans? Seroepidemiological studies demonstrated a rather high percentage of positive results in urban population as well as in adults. The majority of toxocariasis cases in humans is asymptomatic even in the foci with a high soil contamination. Optic density OD405 = 1.200 in a commercial ELISA test was accepted as a border line between the toxocariasis cases usually asymptomatic and the cases, which might have symptoms. In toxocariasis a high correlation was found between the value of OD, eosinophilia and the clinical expression. A new classification of clinical toxocariasis was proposed, including incomplete larva migrans syndrome and neurotoxocariasis and an up-dated definition of covert toxocariasis. It was found that 5 days treatment with albendazole is equally effective as 3-weeks treatment with diethylcarbamazine. Considering the risk of ocular toxocariasis in non-intensive invasions one course of treatment with albendazole is suggested in every case of infection, even asymptomatic.

Albendazole↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A serological study of human toxocariasis in north India.

BACKGROUND: Human toxocariasis owing to lodgement of the larvae of Toxocara canis in different organs can result in serious clinical syndromes such as visceral larva migrans or ocular larva migrans. Detection of an antibody response to Toxocara canis excretory-secretory (TES) antigen in serum samples is sensitive and specific for diagnosis and epidemiological surveys. To assess the extent of this problem in northern India, we tested the antibody response to the TES antigen by ELISA technique in subjects residing in a rural area near Chandigarh and in patients attending Nehru hospital, Chandigarh and clinically suspected to have toxocariasis. METHODS: Serum samples were collected from 94 randomly selected subjects, residents of Kheri village, Ambala district, Haryana; 30 patients clinically suspected to have toxocariasis attending Nehru hospital, Chandigarh; 25 control patients and 15 normal healthy individuals. These were subjected to ELISA technique for detection of an antibody response to TES antigen usinga commercial kit (LMD Laboratories Inc. Ca. USA). All the samples were tested in duplicate and positive samples were tested by a different kit (Melotec Biotechnology, Spain). RESULTS: Of the 94 subjects residing in Kheri village and 30 clinically suspected toxocariasis patients, 6 (6.4%) and 7 (23.3%), respectively, were seropositive for anti-Toxocara antibody response. A history of pica and/or contact with puppies could not be obtained from all the subjects/patients, hence the exact mode of transmission could not be ascertained. However, 3 (3.2%), 2 (2.13%) and 1 (1.06%) seropositive subjects in Kheri village were in the age groups of 1-10, 11-20 and 21-30 years, respectively, while 4 (13.33%) and 3 (10%) seropositive patients who attended Nehru hospital, Chandigarh were in the age groups of 1-10 and 21-30 years, respectively. None of the control patients/healthy individuals were seropositive. CONCLUSION: A positive antibody response to TES antigen in 6.4% subjects residing in a rural area near Chandigarh and in 23.3% of patients clinically suspected to have toxocariasis indicates that human toxocariasis may be endemic in certain regions of northern India. A detailed epidemiological study is needed to determine the extent of this problem.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Toxocariasis: spread and impact on reproductive health].

To study the prevalence of toxocariasis and its impact on the reproductive health of inhabitants in the Saratov Region, enzyme immunoassay was used to examine 1404 patients, including 210 children, 912 females, and 282 males. Toxocariasis was shown to be a risk factor of male (oligoasthenozoospermia) and female (tuboperitoneal) infertility. The high incidence of toxocariasis in females with reproductive dysfunction (recurrent abortion) and an aggravated obstetric history complicated by chronic renal diseases is indicative of the existence of the urogenital form of toxocariasis. Toxocariasis greatly increases a risk of giving birth to a baby with clinical manifestations of intrauterine infection (IUI), promotes homeostatic disorder and the formation of long-term pathology in babies with IUI. At the same time, there was a significant relationship of abnormal cardiotocograms to toxocariasis and to the presence of Trichomonas, Mycoplasma, Chlamydia, and Cytomegalovirus.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗

PubMed1994

[The ocular form of toxocariasis].

Ocular toxocariasis (ocular form of larval toxocariasis) arises mainly unilaterally and represents no rare disease. On 3rd Department of Infectology, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, 102 patients with proved larval toxocariasis were treated from 1981 to 1990. Ocular toxocariasis concerned only one third of this number. Most frequent form was the retinal toxocaral granuloma (in 55.2%), positioned by two thirds at the posterior pole of retina. In one case, endophthalmitis led to amaurosis of the eye. Clinical forms typical for ocular toxocariasis are presented. No statistically significant difference was observed in treatment effects using thiobendazole or diethylcarbamazine. All patients with ocular toxocariasis were treated with systematic steroids.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

The prevalence and diagnostic value of toxocariasis in unknown eosinophilia.

Toxocariasis is one of the causes of eosinophilia in peripheral blood and provokes eosinophilic infiltration in internal organs. Extended studies on the prevalence and clinical characteristics of toxocariasis have been rare. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of toxocariasis in unknown eosinophilia and to analyze the efficacy of toxocara enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We evaluated patients presenting with peripheral blood eosinophilia (>500 cells/microl or > or =10% of white blood cell count). After checking drug histories and the presence of allergic diseases and parasitic infections, specific serum IgG antibody to Toxocara canis larval antigen was measured by ELISA. Liver and lung involvement was also evaluated. One-hundred and three patients were evaluated, and the mean age was 50.9 years old. Seventy patients (68.0%) were diagnosed as having toxocariasis. The patients who had a history of raw liver eating had a higher incidence, and the patients with liver involvement had higher serum eosinophil cationic protein values. The eosinophil count was normalized in 7 of 16 treated patients and in 25 of 54 untreated patients. The mean improvement duration was 12 months. We concluded that the prevalence of toxocariasis was high in patients with unknown eosinophilia, and the toxocara ELISA was essential for evaluation of the causes of unknown eosinophilia.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed2005

Prevalence, clinical features, and causes of vision loss among patients with ocular toxocariasis.

BACKGROUND: To describe the prevalence, clinical features, and causes of vision loss among patients with ocular toxocariasis seen at a uveitis referral center. METHODS: A review was completed of the charts of patients with ocular toxocariasis who were examined between 1977 and 1996 at the Francis I. Proctor Foundation of the University of California at San Francisco. The prevalence of ocular toxocariasis among all uveitis patients seen at the center was determined. Demographic features, symptoms, and signs in all patients were evaluated. RESULTS: Ocular toxocariasis occurred in 22 (1.0%) of 2,185 uveitis patients. The mean patient age was 16.5 years. Inflammation was usually unilateral (90.9%). Toxocara uveitis presented as a granuloma in the peripheral retina in 50% of cases, as a granuloma in the macula in 25% of cases, and as a moderate to severe vitreous inflammation mimicking endophthalmitis in 25% cases. The primary causes of vision loss were vitritis (52.6%), cystoid macular edema (47.4%), and traction retinal detachment (36.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Ocular toxocariasis is an uncommon cause of uveitis that mainly affects younger patients. Inflammation is typically unilateral and presents as either a granuloma in the peripheral or posterior retina or a moderate to severe vitreous inflammation mimicking endophthalmitis.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Human toxocariasis and pyogenic liver abscess: a possible association.

OBJECTIVES: To study the role of human toxocariasis in the pathogenesis of pyogenic liver abscess. METHODS: We compared the serology for toxocariasis and serum levels of IgE in 16 patients with pyogenic liver abscess to those in 32 matched (age and gender) controls to define the possible association between these two entities. RESULTS: The serology for toxocariasis was positive in 10 of 16 patients compared with 4 of 32 controls. The relative odds and 95% confidence interval (conditional logistic regression), comparing cases and matched controls, was significant (1.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-1.7) for Toxocara serology. Regarding IgE serum levels, there was no difference between cases and controls. CONCLUSIONS: Human toxocariasis can be one of the predisposing causes of pyogenic liver abscess, especially in tropical countries in which this parasitic disease is common. Treatment of human toxocariasis may prevent morbid complications like hepatic abscess and should be considered in patients with clinical and/or serological evidence of Toxocara infection.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[The role of the water factor in the dissemination of Toxocara eggs and the spread of toxocariasis in a megalopolis].

The water factor in transfer of the activators toxocariasis was not taken into account by parasitologists earlier. Yet in the urbanized ecosystems (first of all--in the megalopolis) it can have rather appreciable importance in distribution of toxocariasis in animals and man. Our researches which have been carried out in reservoirs of Moscow with the "wild" and the "organized" beaches, have revealed various, but as a whole their significant, of contaminations by invasion eggs Toxocara (Toxocara canis, T. mistax, and Toxascaris leonina). It specifies an opportunity of their hit in organism of the man and, as a consequence--toxocariasis. The examination of the patients toxocariasis of the people (first of all of children at the age of 3-10 years) have confirmed the fact of their bathing and involuntary swallow of water in urban unflowing reservoirs. In ecosystems of the megalopolis at a high level of parasite of pollution increased superinvasion of dogs and cats and free access of animals to internal reservoirs--the risk of infection of the people toxocariasis gradually grows.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Covert toxocariasis--a cause of recurrent abdominal pain in childhood.

Toxocariasis, usually caused by Toxocara canis, is a zoonosis acquired by ingestion of worms which inhabit the gut of young canines. Domestic pets, such as dogs, become infected from soil in public parks and playgrounds which are often heavily contaminated. Although toxocariasis is often regarded as having two principal, though uncommon, manifestations--visceral larva migrans (VLM) and ocular toxocariasis (OT)--recent studies have suggested otherwise. A third, more common, condition, termed 'covert toxocariasis', describes patients in whom positive toxocara serology is associated with a number of systemic and localised symptoms and signs (notably abdominal pain) but not VLM or OT. A quarter of patients with covert toxocariasis have no eosinophilia and, although symptoms regress after treatment, they may persist for months or years. We report a 13-year-old girl with recurrent abdominal pain who, despite positive toxocara serology, was extensively investigated for other abdominal pathology.

Abdominal Pain↗

PubMed2003

A seroepidemiological study of toxocariasis and risk factors for infection in children in Sri Lanka.

A seroepidemiology study using TES-ELISA was carried out in 1,020 children aged 1-12 years in the Hindagala Community Health Project, Sri Lanka. Toxocariasis seroprevalence was 43% with 16.6% showing high antibody levels. Unconditional logistic regression analysis showed 7-9 year olds to be at the highest risk (OR 3.0820; CI = 1.95-4.87). Dog ownership, especially puppies (OR 29.28; CI = 7.40-116.0), and geophagia-pica (OR 6.3732; CI = 3.87-10.50), were significant risk factors. Family clustering of toxocariasis was significant (chi2 = 88.000; p = 0.0001). Abdominal pain (45%), cough (30%), limb pain (23%) and skin rashes (20%) were significantly associated with seropositivity indicating that toxocariasis causes covert morbidity. These findings are, overall, applicable to other areas in Sri Lanka. However, in the dry zone, survival of infective eggs in the soil could be affected by the climate while more importantly, in agricultural areas with a high buffalo population, Toxocara vitulorum could account for human toxocariasis. Using a species specific double sandwich ELISA based on 57 kDa protein of T. canis ES antigen, it is demonstrated that 91% of the seropositives were due to T. canis. Thus along with rabies and dirofilariasis, toxocariasis is an important zoonotic health hazard from dogs in Sri Lanka and prevention is indicated.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Lymphedema as a presenting sign of toxocariasis.

Toxocariasis in children is usually an asymptomatic infection and those with clinical illness have non-specific systemic or local manifestations. We present a 24-month-old boy with bilateral lymphedema of the feet as the main clinical manifestation of toxocariasis. The child presented with limping and nonpitting edema of both feet. Laboratory investigation revealed leucocytosis of < 20,000/mm3 with a differential count of < 50% eosinophils. No other cause of edema was found. The ELISA for toxocariasis revealed a high titer of > or = 1:4,096. The limping and the lymphedema disappeared during the third week of his illness. We suggest that toxocariasis should be considered as a possible cause of lymphedema and eosinophilia in young children.

Child, Preschool↗

PubMed2005

Serum cytokine levels in human ascariasis and toxocariasis.

Cytokine-mediated regulation of chronic intestinal helminth infections is well documented. The present study reports the serum cytokine responses in 38 ascariasis (stool samples positive for Ascaris lumbricoides ova) and toxocariasis (seropositive) patients, 8 ascariasis-positive and toxocariasis-seronegative patients, 22 endemic, normal, healthy subjects residing in areas hyperendemic for ascariasis and 16 normal healthy subjects residing in a low-endemic area in India. The results indicated T-helper type-2-type cytokine responses in ascariasis and toxocariasis (seropositive) and ascariasis-positive and toxocariasis-seronegative patients. The important observation was that both patients and healthy individuals in ascariasis-hyperendemic areas had significantly higher interleukin-5 (IL-5) responses than non-endemic control subjects. The altered immune responses of patients in areas hyperendemic of ascariasis may have further implications. Earlier reports suggest that the geohelminth parasites in endemic areas may modulate the immune response to oral vaccines. A critical role for IL-5 in the immune response against challenge infection consistent with the association of type-2 cytokines with vaccine-mediated protection has been reported. Furthermore, co-infection by pathogens that elicit opposing immune responses, particularly helminths vs HIV and tuberculosis, could influence the infection dynamics, progression and immunoprophylaxis of the diseases they cause. Further studies are warranted to ascertain these findings.

Ascariasis↗

PubMed2004

[Toxocariasis in adults].

PURPOSE: Toxocariasis is a widespread zoonotic parasitosis that is frequent in France. It is due to the presence of larvae of roundworms belonging to the genus Toxocara in the human body. Clinical signs are often non-specific. The disease can be asymptomatic or can lead to death. Toxocariasis can be thought of because of clinical signs or presence of hypereosinophilia, but the diagnosis is made by specific serology. Since there is no consensus to date regarding treatment, prevention is of paramount importance. CURRENT KNOWLEDGE AND KEYPOINTS: Recent studies point out the frequency of this parasitic disease that is often asymptomatic. The serological diagnosis remains the main tool for the diagnosis of toxocariasis. FUTURE PROSPECTS AND PROJECTS: Further studies on toxocariasis should focus on the prevalence of this disease in French population regarding the probability of infection: living in the countryside, food habits, hygiene and presence of dogs in the neighborhood. Tools of the biological diagnosis (mainly serological techniques) should be improved, but, especially, studies should focus on the evaluation of specific treatment in order to give unquestionable guidelines on this point.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Toxocariasis in humans: clinical expression and treatment dilemma.

A new scheme of clarifying clinical forms of toxocariasis is proposed to include: (i) systemic forms: classical VLM and incomplete VLM; (ii) compartmentalized forms: ocular and neurological toxocariasis; (iii) covert toxocariasis; and (iv) asymptomatic toxocariasis. The following markers are helpful in defining clinical forms namely, patient characteristics and history, clinical symptoms and signs, positive serology, eosinophilia and increased levels of IgE. Amongst the available drugs albendazole is the most commonly used, although other benzimidazole compounds have a similar efficacy. The recommended dose of albendazole is 15 mg kg(-1) body weight daily for 5 days and in some cases with VLM syndrome the treatment needs to be repeated. An evaluation of treatment efficacy can be made by observing a rise in eosinophilia within a week followed by any improvement in clinical symptoms and signs, lower eosinophilia and serological tests taken over a period of at least 4 weeks. In addition to clinical rationales for the specific treatment of VLM and OLM, preventive treatment needs to be considered bearing in mind the increasing risk of larvae localizing in the brain during the course of an infection. To reduce migration of Toxocara larvae a single course of albendazole is suggested in cases where eosinophilia and serology are at least moderately positive.

Albendazole↗

PubMed2003

Clinical features of ocular toxocariasis in Japan.

PURPOSE: To characterize the clinical features of ocular toxocariasis and to describe the unique aspects of the disease in Japan. METHODS: Thirty-six cases diagnosed as ocular toxocariasis at the uveitis clinic of Tokyo Medical University Hospital were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: Thirty-six cases comprised 34 adults (average age: 39 +/- 10 years) and two nine-year-old boys. All cases were classified into two clinical types: posterior pole type (13 cases) and peripheral type (23 cases). Visual acuity was maintained over 20/20 in 50% and less than 20/200 in 14% of the cases. The peripheral type had worse outcomes than the posterior pole type in all of the endpoints examined: final visual outcome, frequency of ocular complications, and effectiveness of vitreous surgery. Antibody titers in intraocular fluids led to a diagnosis of ocular toxocariasis in eight seronegative cases of 33 cases examined for antibodies in both serum and intraocular fluid samples. CONCLUSIONS: The peripheral type had a worse prognosis than the posterior pole type. However, in general, ocular toxocariasis resulted in fair visual outcomes. The antibody titer in intraocular fluid was helpful in the diagnosis.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Development of a highly specific recombinant Toxocara canis second-stage larva excretory-secretory antigen for immunodiagnosis of human toxocariasis.

The specificity of the recombinant Toxocara canis antigen developed for the immunodiagnosis of human toxocariasis was compared with that of the excretory-secretory antigen from T. canis second-stage larvae (TES) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A total of 153 human serum samples from patients infected with 20 different helminths, including 11 cases of toxocariasis, were examined. No false-negative reactions were observed for the toxocariasis cases. When the TES was used at concentrations of 0.5 and 0.125 microg/ml, cross-reactions were observed in 79 (55.6%) and 61 (43.0%) of 142 cases, respectively. In contrast, when the recombinant antigen was tested at a concentration of 0.5 microg/ml, cross-reactions were observed in 19 (13.4%) of 142 cases. At a concentration of 0.125 microg/ml, however, the cross-reaction rate decreased sharply to only 2.1%, corresponding to 3 of 142 cases. The cross-reactions occurred with one case each of gnathostomiasis, paragonimiasis with Paragonimus miyazakii, and spirometriasis, in which high antibody titers were detected. In addition, the recombinant antigen showed negative reactions with serum samples from patients infected with Ascaris and hookworms, which are the most common parasites in the world. These findings are also supported by experiments with animals infected with Ascaris and hookworm. From these results, the recombinant antigen is highly specific for toxocariasis and may provide more reliable diagnostic results than other methods.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Ultrasound biomicroscopy findings in peripheral vitreoretinal toxocariasis.

PURPOSE: To describe the morphologic alterations in ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) present in peripheral vitreoretinal toxocariasis. METHODS: An observational prospective study of case series. Fifteen eyes of 15 patients with clinical and laboratory diagnosis of peripheral vitreoretinal toxocariasis were enrolled. The patients were submitted to UBM examination of the region corresponding to the pars plana of the affected eye. RESULTS: The most common morphologic alterations found by UBM in patients with peripheral vitreoretinal toxocariasis were as follows: vitreal membranes (13 cases), toxocara granuloma (11 cases), and pseudocysts (8 cases). Other less frequent findings were thickening of the ciliary body (6 cases), cystic formation (2 cases), peripheral retinal detachment (2 cases), rectification of the iris root (1 case), and posterior synechiae (1 case). CONCLUSIONS: UBM allows detection of well-defined morphologic alterations associated with peripheral vitreoretinal toxocariasis, being useful to reinforce the clinical diagnosis.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Visceral larval migrans (Human toxocariasis) cause of hypereosinophilia and visceral granulomas in adults].

A 24-year-old woman 2-3 months after a normal parturation presented geophagy. Due to hypermenorrhea she consulted a gynecologist and in a hemogram a 57% (6,893 x mm3) hypereosinophilia was detected. A chest TAC showed bilateral pulmonary nodules. The following tests resulted positive: ELISA IgG for toxocariasis 1:1000, isohemagglutinins anti A 1:2048 and anti B 1:512. The patient was treated with albendazole and prednisone during 10 days. One month after treatment eosinophilia decreased to 2.590 x mm3 and ELISA IgG for toxocariasis descended to 1:128. Different aspects of human toxocariasis are commented. When hypereosinophia is observed in adult patients, toxocariasis must be checked.

Adult↗