Modified method to enhanced recovery of Toxocara cati larvae for the purposes of diagnostic and therapeutic

Abstract

Human toxocariasis, extraintestinal-migration of Toxocara species, is a worldwide helminthic zoonosis in many places of the undeveloped countries. Toxocara cati is one of the common helminths in cats and it is a potentially preventable disease. Its diagnosis and treatment depend on the demonstration of specific excretory-secretory Toxocara antibodies from Toxocara larvae by immunological assays. This study provides a simple manual technique which can be performed in any laboratory for recovering a large number of Toxocara cati larvae from the thick-shelled eggs. The devices that are required contain a manual homogenizer and a filter membrane of 40 μm mesh; the rest of materials and solutions is standard laboratory ware. In the modified method the larval yields were 2.7 times higher (3000 larval/ml) and the time spent in performing the modified method was shorter (75 min). Further benefits over already techniques are the easy and repeatable, inexpensive and convenient materials, simplicity to perform and require less time for recovery of Toxocara cati larvae for subsequent cultivation and harvest of the larval excretory-secretory antigens for diagnostic or treatment purposes.