Toxocariasis. Difficult diagnosis in practice of pediatrician

Abstract

Parasitic nematodes of the genus Toxocara are socio-economically important zoonotic pathogens. These parasites are usually directly transmitted to the human host through the fecal-oral route and can cause toxocariasis and related complications, including allergic and neurological disorders. Although tens of millions of people are estimated to have been exposed to Toxocara spp. or are infected with them, global epidemiological information on the relationship between seropositivity and toxocariasis is limited. Recent results show that in some countries the impact of toxocariasis on human health is increasing. The purpose of this review was to analyze modern data on the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical and laboratory manifestations and therapy of toxocariasis. Material and methods. The analysis of publications in PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science systems in the period from January 1950 to September 2020, highlighting studies documenting the epidemiological, pathogenetic, clinical and laboratory aspects of toxocariasis. In addition, we analyzed clinical cases of toxocariasis among patients of the departments of the Pediatric Research and Clinical Center for Infectious Diseases. The article discusses the basic information about toxocars, summarizes the key aspects of the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of toxocariasis, its prevalence, and gives recommendations for the prevention and control of this disease.