Toxocara canis, o passageiro clandestino de um voo…

Abstract

Human toxocariasis is primarily a soil-transmitted helminth zoonosis, common in children. Children living in areas with poor sanitary conditions, in close contact with pets not dewormed and with geophagia, are at high risk of toxocariasis. A 5-year-old boy, who lived in Cape Verde until a month ago, presented at our emergency department with fever, cough and respiratory distress. His lab tests showed leukocytosis and marked eosinophilia. Thoracic tomography-computer scan showed an irregular hyperdensity in the right lung base. The Toxocara canis serology suggested acute infection. We admitted visceral larva migrans syndrome, and started the adequate therapeutic. Visceral larva migrans syndrome may involve several organs, however severe pulmonary disease is rare. Despite being mainly asymptomatic and self-limited, if there are symptoms, its nonspecificity associated to limitation of serological results makes the diagnosis and the appropriate approach difficult.