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PubMed1975

Specificity and sensitivity of skin test reactions to extracts of Toxocara canis and Ascaris suum. I. Skin tests done on infected guinea pigs.

The specificity and sensitivity of adult and larval somatic antigens, and perienteric fluid of Toxocara canis and Ascaris suum were investigated by using intradermal skin tests in guinea pigs. These animals were infected with low doses (0.01, 0.1 or 1.0 egg/g) of these helminths. Toxocara larval antigen (TL) induced larger reactions in Toxocara-infected animals than did the other antigens, suggesting a superior sensitivity for this antigen. In addition, Ascaris perienteric fluid (AP) provoked skin responses in these animals of a magnitude similar to those induced by TL. The reciprocal relationship, i.e., comparable reactivity of AP and TL in Ascaris-infected animals, was not apparent. In general, Ascaris larval antigen and AP elicited larger intradermal reactions than other antigens in Ascaris-infected animals. The results of this study indicated no superiority of adult antigens in differentiating Ascaris and Toxocara infections.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

Specificity and sensitivity of skin test reactions to extracts of Toxocara canis and Ascaris suum II. Homologous 48-hour passive cutaneous anaphylaxis tests with sera from infected guinea pigs.

The specificity and sensitivity of adult and larval somatic antigens and perienteric fluid of Toxocara canis and Ascaris suum were investigated by using a modified passive cutaneous anaphylaxis procedure in guinea pigs. Pooled sera from animals infected with low doses (0.01, 0.1, or 1.0 egg/g) were most reactive with the homologous larval antigen preparation. However, the Toxocara antisera were highly reactive with this antigen only, whereas the Ascaris antisera reactions could not be interpreted as being clearly positive with any of the antigen preparations. Sera from hyperinfected animals were also reactive with the homologous larval antigen. In addition, Ascaris larval antigen was reactive with Toxocara antiserum. The reciprocal relationship, i.e., reactivity of Toxocara larval antigen with Ascaris antiserum, was no apparent. In no instance did adult antigens induce reactions that could be interpreted as specific or sensitive indicators of antibody.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Contamination of soils with eggs of Toxocara in a subtropical city in Argentina.

A total of 475 soil samples were collected from five public park playgrounds, 17 kindergarten sandpits and 124 housing estates in Resistencia, a medium-sized subtropical-region city in Argentina, and processed by the centrifugal flotation method. Eggs of Toxocara spp. were present in five (3.4%) of the 146 habitats surveyed and in six (1.3%) of the 475 samples examined. Twenty per cent of public parks, 5.9% of kindergarten sandpits and 2.4% of housing estates were contaminated with Toxocara eggs. Depending on the number of samples examined from the three types of habitat, contamination by Toxocara was 0.7% in public park playgrounds, 1.2% in kindergarten sandpits and 1.6% in the housing estates. High prevalences of Ancylostomidae eggs were also found especially in public park playgrounds with a value of 100%, compared with 19.4% found in housing estates and 11.8% in kindergarten samples. These results suggest that in Resistencia, human infections with Toxocara are likely to occur within the limits of housing estates more so than in public parks or open spaces.

Ancylostoma↗
PubMed1975

[Simple method for obtaining Toxocara canis antigen for the indirect immunofluorescence technic].

A simple method for the preparation of Toxocara canis antigen for the indirect immunofluorescent test is described: Embryonated Toxocara eggs are treated for 12 hours at room temperature with a 1:1 mixture of 2% NaHO and sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) solution with a concentration of 2% free chlorine in order to remove the outer layers of the egg shells. The larvae which are still enclosed in the lipid membrane are freed by mild ultrasonic treatment. Thereafter, the suspension of larvae is washed and purified in a modified Baermann apparatus. In this way large numbers of larvae in pure suspension were gained and used for the production of frozen sections for the indirect immunofluorescent test. Rabbits and mice experimentally infected with embryonated Toxocara canis eggs showed a positive serological reaction (titers between 1/10 to 1/320) in this test with Toxocara larvae as antigen, while in uninfected control animals no antibodies could be detected. The larval antigen exhibited only a weak cross reaction with sera of animals infected with Ascaris suum eggs.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Toxocara antigen and mitogen-induced lymphocyte blastogenesis for diagnosis of visceral larva migrans: clinical and experimental findings in macaques and human beings.

Peripheral lymphocytes from macaques inoculated with Toxocara canis and from children with serologically confirmed visceral larva migrans (VLM) were assayed for blastogenic responses using Toxocara antigen and standard mitogens. Macaques were given single or multiple larval infections. Lymphocyte responses of inoculated macaques were compared with responses from noninoculated macaques. Similarly, lymphocyte responses from 2 serologically confirmed human Toxocara VLM patients were compared with that of 2 healthy human controls. Mitogen responses of the macaques with multiple infections were higher than those with single infections or no infection, but these differences were not significant. Statistically greater (P less than 0.05) Toxocara antigen-induced blastogenesis was observed for both groups of inoculated macaques and for each VLM patient. However, the degree of stimulation was low.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

[Chronic urticaria and toxocara canis infection. A case-control study].

INTRODUCTION: The cause of chronic urticaria remains unknown very often. Having noted several cases of chronic urticaria associated with antibodies to Toxocara canis, and lacking any other explanation, we set-up a case-control study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between November 1992 and April 1993, 51 adults or children with chronic urticaria (cases) who had been examined at least once at one of the three dermatology units of the Bordeaux University Hospital were matched to controls who had neither signs nor symptoms of chronic urticaria. The presence of antibodies to T. canis was measured by ELISA and Western blot. RESULTS: The frequency of T. canis was 64.7 p. 100 in cases and 21 p. 100 in controls (p < 0.0001) with an odds ratio of 6.9 (95 p. 100 CI: 2.9-16.3). Cases with antibodies to T. canis were more frequently in contact with pets (84 vs 50 p. 100, p < 0.001). Of the 33 cases of chronic urticaria with antibodies to T. canis, 14 have been treated with thiabendazole or ivermectin and after a one-year follow-up, 5 (36 p. 100) were cured and 4 (29 p. 100) had improvement. No improvement occurred in the 12/19 cases not specifically treated. CONCLUSION: The strong association between the presence of antibodies to Toxocara canis and chronic urticaria is unlikely to be due to chance. A causal relation is difficult to establish, however. Our findings should prompt further investigation of a role for Toxocara canis in chronic urticaria and the evaluation of therapeutic interventions. Preventive measures include deworming pets (dogs particularly), enclosing kitchen gardens, and handwashing before meals. A systematic measure of Toxocara canis in patients with chronic urticaria is recommended especially when in contact with dogs. Early and specific treatments can be applied on knowledge we already have.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Seroepidemiological study of Toxocara infection in Nepal.

Seroepidemiological study of Toxocara infection in Nepalese people aged more than fourteen years was carried out by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using T. canis soluble embryonated egg antigen. Of the total 200 subjects included in this study, 162 (81%) were found to possess antibodies to Toxocara spp. Males showed higher (85%) antibody positive rates than females (77%). Inhabitants of Kathmandu valley showed higher antibody positive rates (84%) compared with those living outside of the valley (78%). These differences, however, were not significant statistically (p > 0.05). Ethnically, Newar, Rai/Limbu, Tamang/Sherpa, Brahmin/Chhetri, Jha/Yadavs, and others (Kami, Damai) showed Toxocara antibody positive rates of 85, 85, 83, 70, 77 and 100%, respectively. Half of the Toxocara antibody positive subjects (49%) showed an elevated level (two plus) of antibody.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Ocular Toxocara in siblings of two families. Diagnosis confirmed by ELISA test.

To my knowledge this study of two families with ocular Toxocara is the first in the literature to report involvement of more than one sibling. All four children had far-advanced disease with irreversible loss of macular vision in the affected eye. The clinical findings were confirmed by the ELISA test. With laboratory confirmation of the clinical findings, I expect to find not only more patients in the population at large with ocular Toxocara, but also expect to find numerous siblings in a particular family to be involved as well. Therefore, when ocular Toxocara is found in a child, every sibling in the family should be examined. Just as the young child with amblyopia does not complain of decreased vision, even so the young child with ocular Toxocara often will not complain of any visual problems.

Ascariasis↗
PubMed1982

Development of the serological response in rabbits infected with Toxocara canis and Toxascaris leonina.

The indirect fluorescent antibody test using frozen sections of infective Toxocara canis and Toxascaris leonina eggs, and the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay using homogenized Toxocara canis embryonated egg extract and T canis excretory-secretory products as adsorbed antigens were used to determine the specificity and development of circulating antibodies in rabbits. Frozen sections were subdivided into four morphologically distinct compartments for analysis of the development of the circulating antibody response. The fluid surrounding the larva was the most reactive up to 21 days after infection, and this material was found to be predominantly excretory-secretory in nature. As the infection progressed antibodies directed against 'somatic' tissue materials increased. Cross reactions between sera from rabbits infected with T. canis eggs and Toxascaris leonina frozen sections, and rabbits infected with T. leonina eggs and Toxocara canis frozen sections occurred between both the excretory-secretory fluid and somatic components of the infective eggs. These results were substantiated using the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. When T. canis excretory-secretory antigen was used, an earlier response (peak day 21) was detected than when using T. canis embryonated egg extract (peak day 35). However, cross reactions between T. canis excretory-secretory antigen and sera from rabbits infected with Toxascaris leonina occurred, indicating that the serodiagnosis of visceral larva migrans using Toxocara canis excretory-secretory antigen may still prove unsatisfactory when considering the role of Toxascaris as a possible causative agent.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Serologic diagnosis of Toxocara canis infection.

Visceral larval migrans (VLM) caused by Toxocara canis presents a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations with eosinophilia. Although the presence of increased serum IgE and isohemagglutinin titers are useful screening tests, the specific diagnosis rests on identification of larvae in biopsy specimens of tissues or serologic tests for specific antibody to the Toxocara organism. A 2-year-old boy with marked eosinophilia associated with milk respiratory tract illness had negative indirect hemagglutination (IHA) and bentonite flocculation (BF) titers to Toxocara, but serum tested for specific antibodies against Toxocara embryonated egg (TEE) antigens by the Ouchterlony immunodiffusion and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technics was strongly positive.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1997

Aspects of Toxocara epidemiology: toxocarosis in dogs and cats.

Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati are common roundworms of dogs and cats. In this review the life cycles of these parasites are described, including the various routes of transmission, such as transplacental, transmammary infection, and infection through paratenic hosts. The somatic and tracheal migration in the body of the hosts after infection with Toxocara eggs or larvae is discussed, with special reference to age resistance and differences between dog and cat. The clinical symptoms and pathology in adult and young dogs and cats are given. Diagnosis of patent infections can be obtained by fecal examination, and treatment consists of the use of anthelmintics. Control of the infection and disease is achieved by prevention of contamination of the environment, anthelmintic treatment strategy, and education. Special attention is given to the efficacy of anthelmintics against adult worms and against somatic larvae. It is concluded that education on the life cycles of the parasites, hygiene, and anthelmintic treatment schedules is required because of the zoonotic risks of Toxocara spp. Deworming of pregnant dogs and cats is not recommended.

Animals↗
PubMed1974

[Experimental Study On The Effect Of Cortisone In Mice Infected With Toxocara Canis: Histopathological Findings Of Granuloma In The Liver]

The present study was carried out to examine the effect of "Cortisone" on the worm burden migrated in the organs, and granulomatous change in the liver of mice infected with Toxocara canis eggs. Daily does of 0.5 mg "Cortisone" was administrated subcutaneously to Toxocara-infected mice with different schedule. The results are summarized as follows: 1. More number of Toxocara larvae migrated into the muscle tissue, especially into the carcass through the wall of the large intestine and higher distribution rate and longer persistence of worms were also recognized in the carcass of the experimental group than in the control. 2. Cortisone administration resulted the inhibition of granuloma formation, as well as the resolution of granuloma in the liver. However, the discontinuation of the administration induced the reccurence of heavier grade of inflammation. In non-cortisone treated group (control), cellular infiltration appeared around the worms in the liver on the 10th day of the infection, and typical granulomatosis was followed on the 20th day. As in above results, it is considered cortisone has remarkable anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects in mice infected with T.canis, but histopathological changes on the granuloma formation might be related closely with the duration of Toxocara infection, dosage, duration and timing of cortisone administration.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1982

Induced Toxoplasma gondii, Toxocara canis, and Isospora canis infections in coyotes.

Six littermate laboratory-raised coyotes (No. 1-6) were used to study the transmission of Toxoplasma gondii from cats and mice, and Toxocara canis and Isospora canis from dogs and mice. Coyotes 1 and 2 were inoculated orally with 1,000 infective oocysts of the TC-1 strain of T gondii; coyotes 3 and 4 were fed mice infected with tissue cysts of the TC-1 strain of T gondii. Eight days after inoculation with T gondii, the same 4 coyotes were exposed to Toxocara canis: coyotes 1 and 2 were inoculated orally with 500 embryonated eggs, and coyotes 3 and 4 were fed mice infected with Toxocara canis. Fifteen days after exposure to Toxocara canis, the same 4 coyotes were fed mice infected with I canis. Two coyotes (No. 5 and 6) did not receive any organism and they served as controls. All 4 inoculated coyotes remained clinically normal but became infected with all 3 organisms. Toxoplasma gondii was recovered from the brain, heart, diaphragm, and muscles of limbs of coyotes killed 49 and 66 days after inoculation with oocysts, but only from muscles of limbs of coyote 4, killed at 84 days, and from the brain and muscles of limbs of coyote 3, killed at 72 days after feeding infected mice. Control coyotes did not acquire any of the 3 infections.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

The occurrence of Toxocara malaysiensis in cats in China, confirmed by sequence-based analyses of ribosomal DNA.

Non-isotopic polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based single-strand conformation polymorphism and sequence analyses of the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS-2) of nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) were utilized to genetically characterise ascaridoids from dogs and cats from China by comparison with those from other countries. The study showed that Toxocara canis, Toxocara cati, and Toxascaris leonina from China were genetically the same as those from other geographical origins. Specimens from cats from Guangzhou, China, which were morphologically consistent with Toxocara malaysiensis, were the same genetically as those from Malaysia, with the exception of a polymorphism in the ITS-2 but no unequivocal sequence difference. This is the first report of T. malaysiensis in cats outside of Malaysia (from where it was originally described), supporting the proposal that this species has a broader geographical distribution. The molecular approach employed provides a powerful tool for elucidating the biology, epidemiology, and zoonotic significance of T. malaysiensis.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Circulation of Toxocara spp. in suburban and rural ecosystems in the Slovak Republic.

Toxocara spp., the common roundworms of domestic and wild animals, are the causative agents of larval toxocarosis in humans. The migration of Toxocara larvae in men causes clinical syndrome, called larva migrans visceralis or larva migrans ocularis. The objective of the present work was to investigate the prevalence of toxocarosis in dogs, red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), and small mammals in the Slovak Republic. T. canis infection was diagnosed in 16.6% out of 145 dogs examined. Young animals showed significantly higher positivity (50.0%) than adults (12.4%). Coprological investigation of 310 red foxes showed 8.1% prevalence of T. canis, with higher occurrence in animals from rural conditions (8.6%) than from suburban environment (5.6%). Out of 710 small mammals examined, anti-Toxocara antibodies were detected in 7.7% of the animals. The most frequently seropositive species was Apodemus agrarius (15.9%). Seropositivity of small mammals from suburban localities was higher (10%) compared with rural areas (5.8%), with adult animals exhibiting higher seropositivity (8.0%) than subadults (6.8%). Our results have confirmed the importance of dogs, red foxes and small mammals in circulation of this serious helminthozoonosis in suburban and rural ecosystems.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1994

Epidemiology of Toxocara spp. in stray dogs and cats in Dublin, Ireland.

A survey was undertaken to study the epidemiology of Toxocara spp. in 350 dogs and 181 cats. A prevalence of 82.6% was recorded for Toxocara canis and 42% for T. cati. The distribution of parasite burdens in both dogs and cats was overdispersed. The highest parasite prevalence rates and burdens were found in hosts of 12 to 24 weeks of age. No Toxocara parasites were found in cats between 0 to 4 weeks old. There was no significant difference in parasite prevalence between male and female dogs or between male and female cats. The relationships between host age and sex with parasite prevalence, burden and length are discussed. Female T. canis worms with mature ova and those with immature ova differed significantly with regard to their length. The relationship between the length of mature T. canis female worms and the proportion of body length occupied by the uterus was highly significant.

Aging↗
PubMed1995

The effects of freezing on the viability of Toxocara canis and T. cati embryonated eggs.

Suspensions of embryonated (L2) Toxocara canis and T. cati eggs were maintained under freezing conditions in order to study the impact on their long term viability. The eggs had been removed from the uteri of adult Toxocara spp. worms and the suspended in a 0.4% formalin solution before being frozen in 20 ml plastic tubes in the freezer compartment of a domestic refrigerator. Assessment of embryonated egg viability over a period of 34 days was conducted by microscopic examination under a high light intensity. Embryonated T. cati eggs were found to exhibit a greater resistance to freezing than those of T. canis. A difference in the size, design of the egg shell or the metabolism of the larval form may have accounted for the observed differences in the percentage viabilities over time between the two species of Toxocara.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Prevalence of Toxocara canis ova in public playgrounds in the Dublin area of Ireland.

A total of nine playground sites in Dublin city and county were surveyed from which 228 samples were removed. Of these samples, 15% were positive for Toxocara canis ova and a mean egg density of 1.4 ova/100 g was calculated. Two types of playground sites were identified and that the level of toxocaral contamination was found to be greater in 'neighbourhood playgrounds' than in 'adventure playgrounds'. There was no significant difference in the number of positive samples taken from sites both inside and outside these playgrounds. No evidence of Toxocara cati ova was found. Only one sample was positive for Toxascaris leonina ova. Over 50% of the T. canis ova identified were infective. The findings in this study suggest that the sample's moisture content contributes to the long term survival of infective Toxocara ova in the environment. A recovery rate of 69.8% was achieved with a modified version of the flotation method.

Animals↗