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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↗
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↗
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↗
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↗
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↗
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

[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↗
PubMed2000

[Ocular toxocariasis. Value of local immunodiagnosis].

Toxocara canis is a nematode that may be involved in human ocular toxocariasis. Specific immunotesting is of importance but may be negative as toxocara antigens may localize exclusively in vitreous humor. We report here the case of one patient with optic disc toxocariasis granuloma negative for toxocara canis immunodiagnostic on serum. Clinical diagnosis was confirmed by toxocara canis specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) on aqueous humor showing elevated titers of antibodies. Systemic steroids associated to specific treatment of toxocariasis were initiated. Follow-up displayed regression of uveitis but development of vitreous bands leading to posterior retinal detachment. Toxocara posterior granuloma is of poor visual prognosis. Moreover, diagnosis may be of late setting, as clinical features are often unrecognized and specific immunodiagnostic on serum negative. Specific immunotesting on aqueous humor is of particular importance to rule out severe clinical differential diagnosis such as retinoblastoma in children. Ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) seems to be specific and sensitive in patients with a presumed diagnosis of peripheral toxocariasis. Granuloma surgery appears to yield good clinical results and allows histological confirmation of the diagnosis.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

The epidemiology of ocular toxocariasis.

Ocular toxocariasis damages vision and may cause blindness. It is a relatively 'new' disease, the histological changes having been described in 1950 and the causative organism identified in 1956. Many aspects of the epidemiology of toxocariasis are unclear. It is generally accepted that the usual route of entry to the eye is via the blood stream. Once the eye is invaded characteristic changes are produced with comparative sparing of the anterior segment. Species differences in susceptibility can be very marked. In Mongolian gerbils 55% of infected animals exhibit ocular lesions. Humans are fortunate in that they are far less susceptible to ocular infection. While it has been established that ocular toxocariasis is caused by Toxocara canis, the role of T. cati in this condition is still unclear. It is perhaps surprising that the prevalence of such a disease in humans should remain in doubt. However, the wide variation in the few estimates of prevalence may well be a reflection of the wide variation in exposure as evidenced by the wide variation in seroprevalence. A further factor mitigating against an identification of prevalence rates is the fact that the condition is usually unilateral. Most surveys of blindness stipulate a vision of 6/60 or less in the better eye and so toxocariasis cases go unrecorded. There is a need for surveys which identify the level of vision in both eyes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

RAST and ELISA in three autochthonous parasitic infections in Italy: toxocariasis, hydatidosis and fascioliasis.

Toxocariasis, Hydatidosis and Fascioliasis are common autochthonous parasitic infections in Italy. RAST and ELISA have been evaluated for serological diagnosis. Eight sera from Toxocariasis, fifty from Hydatidosis and two from Fascioliasis have been examined. Excretory/secretory antigen has been employed for the serology of Toxocariasis, hydatic fluid for Hydatidosis and embryonated-eggs antigen for Fascioliasis. The RAST resulted positive in 4/5 cases of the visceral form of Toxocariasis and 3/3 in the ocular form, in 2/2 cases of Fascioliasis and 27/50 of Hydatidosis. The ELISA resulted positive respectively in 5/5, 3/3, 2/2, and 19/50 cases. The sensitivity and specificity of the tests employed have been proved.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

[The role of toxocariasis in the etiology of hypereosinophilic syndrome in children].

Toxocariasis as a helminth zoonatroponosis is very common in dogs in our region, thus the infestation of human population, especially children, is frequent, 59 children with high blood eosinophilia, aged 18 months to 14 years, were examined on toxocariasis by indirect immunofluorescence test, 23 children were positive, with antibody titre 1:20-640. Dominant symptoms and signs were cough, allergic exantemas, lymphadenopathy and leucocytosis. One child had eosinophilic meningitis. Some of these children were addicted to geophagia, particularly those with clinical picture corresponding to toxocariasis. The original antigen for the indirect immunofluorescent antibody assay was made of mice brains previously infected with high dose of toxocara larvae (6000 per mouse). Two or three months later, mice were sacrificed and their brains were fixed and included in paraffin wax. Histological sections were used as antigen for titration of patient's serum samples. Authors conclude that all eosinophilias in children should be examined serologically for toxocariasis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Experimental congenital toxocariasis: effect on foetal future immune response.

Congenital parasitic infections may not lead to any overt clinical effects but could modulate the foetal future immune response to the same parasite depending on whether sensitization or tolerance has occurred in utero. In this study, pregnant female mice were infected with Toxocara canis eggs at different gestational age, then the offspring were next challenged with Toxocara eggs 6 weeks after birth and their immune response was assessed by estimation of the eosinophilic count and serum IgE concentration. The Total larval count (TLC), brain parasitism (BP) and reduction % in (TLC) were used as criteria for the course of infection. It was found that exposure to infection during pregnancy whether early or late led not only to transmission of larvae to the foetus but also to modulation of its immune response and course of infection when next encountered the parasite after birth. The offspring when compared to control from non-infected mothers were hyporesponsive when infection occurred early during pregnancy and they showed high immune responsiveness when infection was induced late in pregnancy. The potential clinical application of these findings was suggested. It is now an established fact that immunocompetence in the mammalian foetus including humans develops very early in utero. Therefore, the foetus is capable of showing some forms of activity against invasion by maternal pathogenic organisms or their antigens (Loke, 1978). Moreover, the early contact with parasitic antigens may affect the foetus future immune response when it next encounters similar organisms after birth. Palmer (1978) reported a rapid secondary immune response in the offspring of Plasmodium berghei infected female rats when challenged with the parasite and compared to control groups from non-infected mothers. An apposite response was reported by Hang et al. (1974) who noticed that massive infection of pregnant mice with Schistosoma mansoni cercariae resulted in offspring hyporesponsive to subsequent challenge assessed by the diameter of the egg granulomas. Considering that toxocariasis is a frequent and potentially serious disease affecting primarily young children, also congenital toxocariasis was well documented since the original studies of Fulleborn (1921), this study was designed to reveal the extent to which the foetus future immune response can be modulated by maternal toxocariasis in experimental animals. The estimation of the immune response included IgE level (antibody mediated mechanism) and the absolute eosinophils count (a manifestation of cell mediated immune response) since eosinophil/IgE/mast cell axis represents a specialized immune mechanism that may contribute directly to parasite damage in toxocariasis (Knight, 1982). Also, (TLC), (B.P) and reduction % in (TLC) were used as criteria for the course of infection.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

[Larval toxocariasis--a severe course of the manifest infection].

The case of a 17 year old patient with severe course of toxocariasis is reported. Over a period of 6 months the patient developed signs of serious systemic condition with fever, respiratory infections, diarrhea, urticaria, weight loss, and muscular atrophies. The most remarkable organ derangements involved bilateral exudative neuroretinitis, severe degree of peripheral motoneuron derangement, and grave kidney damage with developing polyuria, hypokalemia, metabolic alkalosis and therapeutically hardly tractable hypertension. The most important laboratory findings were high erythrocyte sedimentation, absolute and relative eosinophilia, and hypergammaglobulinemia. Serological examination exhibited weak larval toxocariasis positivity. Treatment with Mintezol and subsequent administration of prednisone resulted in complete restoration of the clinical state, including organ and laboratory manifestations. The reported case documents the occurrence of larval toxocariasis in our population as well as the possibility of a very severe course of this parasitic infection in man. The therapeutic effect is remarkable since literary data have so far reported mostly unsatisfactory results of toxocariasis treatment.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Epidemiology of human toxocariasis in La Réunion.

In La Réunion island (Indian Ocean) a seroepidemiological survey for toxocariasis was carried out among 387 subjects over 15 years old by Western blotting using Toxocara canis excretory-secretory larval antigens; 92.8% of the sera were positive. Statistical study, including logistic regression analysis, showed a significant correlation of Western blot results with sex, age, and absence of water supply. The final logistic model demonstrated that only the last 2 factors were significant multiplicative risk factors for toxocariasis. Sex was an independent risk factor. With this level of infection, we suggest that further surveys of ocular toxocariasis in children and teenagers of La Réunion would be advisable.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Ocular toxocariasis. A review.

This review is an update on the subject of ocular toxocariasis. An introductory section is designed to familiarize the clinician with the epidemiology, characteristics of the organism, the life cycle in dogs and the systemic human disease known as visceral larval migrans ( VLM ). The more comprehensive second section considers the historical aspects of the ocular involvement, the clinical variations of ocular toxocariasis, pathology, differential diagnosis, diagnostic approaches, and treatment. Emphasis is placed upon new diagnostic techniques such as the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and cytologic diagnosis of intraocular aspirates. Newer therapeutic techniques such as vitrectomy are also considered. The review includes 200 references on systemic and ocular toxocariasis.

Animals↗