Human Toxocariasis Research Articles

Seroprevalence estimates for toxocariasis in people worldwide: Asystematic review and meta-analysis.

BackgroundHuman toxocariasis is an important neglected disease. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis study to estimate the global and regional prevalence of anti-Toxocara serum antibodies (referred to as ‘T-seroprevalence’) in human populations around the world.MethodsWe searched five international databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, SciELO and Scopus) for seroprevalence studies published from 1 January 1980 to 15 March 2019. We used random effect models to calculate the overall T-seroprevalence (with 95% CIs) in all six WHO regions and worldwide. We also conducted subgroup and linear meta-regression analyses to evaluate the impact of socio-demographic, geographical and climatic parameters on seroprevalence.ResultsWe identified 250 eligible studies (253 datasets) comprising 265,327 participants in 71 countries for inclusion in the present meta-analysis. The estimated global T-seroprevalence rate was 19.0% (95%CI, 16.6–21.4%; 62,927/265,327); seroprevalence was highest in the African region (37.7%; 25.7–50.6%) and lowest in the Eastern Mediterranean region (8.2%; 5.1–12.0%). The pooled seroprevalence for other WHO regions was 34.1% (20.2–49.4%) in the South-East Asia; 24.2% (16.0–33.5%) in the Western Pacific; 22.8% (19.7–26.0%) in the American; and 10.5% (8.5–12.8%) in the European regions. A significantly higher T-seroprevalence was associated with a lower income level; lower human development index (HDI); lower latitude; higher humidity; higher temperature; and higher precipitation (P-value < 0.001). Potential risk factors associated with seropositivity to Toxocara included male gender; living in a rural area; young age; close contact with dogs, cats or soil; consumption of raw meat; and the drinking of untreated water.ConclusionsThe present findings indicate high levels of infection with, or exposure to Toxocara spp. in many countries, which calls for increased attention to human toxocariasis and improved measures to prevent adverse health risks of this disease.

Frequency of Toxocariasis Among Asthmatic Children in Northeastern Iran

Background: Toxocariasis is a zoonotic and telluric disease caused by the Toxocara species mostly in tropical areas. The relationship between toxocariasis and asthma has always been a subject of discussion. Objectives: This study evaluated the seroepidemiology of Toxocara among asthmatic children. Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated 150 children aged 3 - 12 years with asthma presentations, who were referred to Dr. Sheikh Hospital of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences from April 2017 to March 2018. Serum samples were tested for the presence of anti-Toxocara antibodies using Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Positive sera were confirmed by the Western Blotting (WB) method. Results: Out of 150 asthmatic patients, Toxocara immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody responses were observed in two (1.3%) patients by ELISA and one (0.6%) patient by both ELISA and WB. Moreover, none of the patients was detected as hypereosinophilia. Conclusions: It seems there is no significant relationship between Toxocara infection and asthma in Northeastern Iran. These findings suggest the need for WB immunodiagnosis and ELISA using Toxocara antigens to improve human toxocariasis diagnosis in patients with asthma.

Clinical and epidemiological aspects of human toxocarosis in the Astrakhan region

Analyzed the clinical and epidemiological aspects of human toxocariasis in the Astrakhan region. It was established that from 2013 to 2017 in its territory 34 cases of human toxocariasis were recorded. In the structure of the total number of helminthoses for the analyzed period, the share of toxocariasis accounted for 0,2% of cases and 0,2% of the total number of all parasitosis recorded in the Astrakhan region. Both adults and children were affected by toxocariasis. Thus, the share of the adult population was 82,4%, incl. persons employed in production (working population) - 67,6%, pensioners- 11,8% and unemployed - 2,9%. The proportion of children in the overall incidence of toxocarcosis was 17,6%, of which11,8% attended kindergartens and secondary school 2,9%. And in one case the child was unorganized - he was at home withhis parents - 2.9%. The main complaints of people seeking medical care were: cough - 23,5%, general weakness - 17,6%,pain in the epigastric region and temperature rise to subfebrile numbers - 11,8%, allergic rhinitis and muscle pain and joints- by 5,9%, as well as decreased appetite, allergic rashes on the skin of varying degrees of intensity, feeling of suffocation andweight loss - by 2,9%.When ascertaining the epidemiological history, it was found that the probable cause of the development of the diseasecould be: not following personal hygiene rules - 94,1%, eating unwashed fruits and vegetables - 88,2%, close contact withdomestic dogs - 52,9%, onigophagy - 20,6%, contact with domestic cats - 14,7%, geophagy and the habit of licking hands- 8,8% each, and contact with stray dogs - 5,9%. Personal hygiene rules were observed in 5,9% of patients. Generally, thecurrent situation on human toxocariasis in the Astrakhan region remains highly relevant. The main causes of the diseasewere close contact with both domestic and stray animals, as well as non-compliance with the rules of personal hygiene. Thepresence of diseased antibody titers in the formulation of enzyme immunoassay 1:800 and above, as well as the presence ofa clinical picture of the disease, indicates the direct presence of parasitic invasion in the examined.

Image Case:Ocular Toxocariasis in 14 Years Old Male.

Toxocariasis is one of zoonotic infections all over the world that is caused by Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati. Infection with Toxocara occurs by accidentlal ingestion of embryonated eggs or larvae which have been shed in the feces of infected animals. After ingestion of the eggs, release of infective larvae in the small intestine occurs and then these penetrate the intestine then to the circulation, and then to different organs. Clinical presentation of toxocariasis in humans varies from asymptomatic infection to severe organ damage, which depends on the load of the parasite, the involved organs, and inflammatory response of the host. Particularly, depending on the involved organ, two clinical types can occur: systemic toxocariasis (which is known as visceral larva migrans) and ocular toxocariasis . The majority of the ocular toxocariasis cases are unilateral. To reach definitive diagnosis of ocular toxocariasis, biopsy of infected tissue should be obtained for histological demonstration of the Toxocara larva which is difficult in clinical practice. So, we depend on the presence of typical ophthalmologic signs and the presence of serum antibody to the Toxocara larvae for diagnosis of ocular toxocariasis. A 14 years old male presented by progressive decrease in visual acuity in the left eye with no history of trauma or medications, with blood picture showed no esinophilia. Slit lamp examination was normal. Coloured fundus photography and fluorescein angiography of the left eye revealed evidence of fibrous band stretching from the optic disc to a peripheral retinal mass located in the far peripheral nasal retina which is highly suggestive of ocular toxocariasis. Patient received medical treatment in the form of systemic corticosteroids ( 1mg/kg) and diethyl carbamazine ( 6 mg/kg per day) for one month then reexamination was done and coloured fundus photography of the eye revealed marked improvement of the traction bands on the macula with improvement of visual acuity .

Associations of mental disorders and neurotropic parasitic diseases: a meta-analysis in developing and emerging countries

BackgroundAlthough they are declining worldwide, neurotropic parasitic diseases are still common in developing and emerging countries. The aim of this study was to estimate the pooled prevalence and pooled association measures of comorbidities between mental disorders (anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia) and neurotropic parasitic diseases (malaria, cysticercosis, toxoplasmosis, human African trypanosomiasis, Chagas disease, and human toxocariasis) in developing and emerging countries.MethodsAs the first meta-analysis on this topic, this study was performed in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (N°CRD42017056521). The Medline, Embase, Lilacs, and Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology databases were used to search for articles without any restriction in language or date. We evaluated the quality of studies independently by two investigators using the Downs and Black assessment grid and pooled estimates using the random-effects method from CMA (Comprehensive Meta Analysis) Version 3.0.ResultsIn total, 18 studies published between 1997 and 2016 met our inclusion criteria. We found that the prevalence of anxiety and depression in people suffering from Chagas disease and/or neurocysticercosis was 44.9% (95% CI, 34.4–55.9). In 16 pooled studies that included 1782 people with mental disorders and 1776 controls, toxoplasmosis and/or toxocariasis were associated with increased risk of schizophrenia and/or bipolar disorders (odds ratio = 2.3; 95% CI, 1.7–3.2). Finally, toxocariasis and/or toxoplasmosis were associated with an increased risk of the onset of schizophrenia (odds ratio = 2.4; 95% CI, 1.7–3.4).ConclusionOur pooled estimates show that the associations between diseases studied are relatively high in developing and emerging countries. This meta-analysis supports the hypothesis that toxoplasmosis could be the cause of schizophrenia. These findings could prove useful to researchers who want to further explore and understand the associations studied.

Designing and Modeling of Multi-epitope Proteins for Diagnosis of Toxocara canis Infection

Serological investigation is the main method to achieve satisfactory results in Toxocara canis diagnosis. The accuracy of the native antigen used in the current diagnostic kits has proven to be insufficient as well as difficult to standardize. Therefore significant efforts have been made to find alternative reagents as capture antigens. Multi-epitope peptides are potential diagnostic markers to improve the accuracy of diagnostic kits. The main aim of this study is the prediction and design of a novel synthetic protein consisting of multiple immunodominant B cell epitopes by Use of three proteins TES-120, TES-30, and TES-26 of T. canis. Primary, secondary and tertiary structures of the proteins were analyzed by using several various online software (ExPasy, IEDB, ABCpred, SVMTriP). Then, B cell construct was assessed by machine learning and Physico-chemical approaches and finally, homology modeling of 3D structure of protein was evaluated. The results of in silico analyses indicated that regions with high immunogenicity for TES-120 protein are located at between residues 97–167, for TES-30 protein are in the residues 52–102, 172–207 and for TES-26 are in the residues 33–83, 130–180. These regions could have good potential features for designing the Multi-epitopes. Finally, selected epitopes were linked to each other by linkers. The average length of the constructs was 342 bp. Also, the high proportion of random coils and extended strands in construct suggest that the protein form antigenic epitopes. Expasy ProtParam classified the constructs with moderate stability and 56.2% residues of constructs were located in favored regions of the Ramachandran plot. In conclusion, immunoinformatics analysis indicated that this multi-epitope peptide can laid a theoretical basis to develop an appropriate diagnostic kit for human toxocariasis.

Prevalence Maps and Climate-Based Risk Map of Toxocariasis in Iran

: This study aimed to design the prevalence maps of toxocariasis in different provinces of Iran. Moreover, the effects of three climatic parameters were explored on Toxocara egg maturation in various provinces using geographical information system (GIS). A review was conducted to examine the studies of the prevalence of human and animal toxocariasis and the contamination of public places with Toxocara eggs. Climatic data were converted into raster layers in ArcGIS 10.3 software and subjected to spatial analysis. A climate-based risk map was drawn for the whole country. Iran was classified into four different classes. Golestan, Mazandaran, Guilan, Khuzestan, Fars, Hormozgan, and Lorestan provinces were located in class four with the highest possibility of parasitic egg development due to proper humidity and temperature. Further, the results showed a high prevalence of human toxocariasis antibody titer in Khuzestan and Fars provinces and high prevalence of infection among carnivores in East Azerbaijan, Tehran, Razavi Khorasan, and Mazandaran provinces. Given the high prevalence of anti-Toxocara antibody titer reported in various studies and the high risk of infection in children, the results of the present study can be helpful for physicians and healthcare staff in high-risk provinces.

Fast One-Step Ultrasensitive Detection of Toxocara canis Antigens by a Nanobody-Based Electrochemical Magnetosensor.

Human toxocariasis (HT) is a cosmopolitan zoonotic disease caused by the migration of the larval stage of the roundworm Toxocara canis. Current HT diagnostic methods do not discriminate between active and past infections. Here, we present a method to quantify Toxocara excretory/secretory antigen, aiming to identify active cases of HT. High specificity is achieved by employing nanobodies (Nbs), single domain antigen binding fragments from camelid heavy chain-only antibodies. High sensitivity is obtained by the design of an electrochemical magnetosensor with an amperometric read-out. Reliable detection of TES antigen at 10 and 30 pg/mL level was demonstrated in phosphate buffered saline and serum, respectively. Moreover, the assay showed no cross-reactivity with other nematode antigens. To our knowledge, this is the most sensitive method to quantify the TES antigen so far. It also has great potential to develop point of care diagnostic systems in other conditions where high sensitivity and specificity are required.

Seroepidemiological Evaluation of Toxocariasis in Egyptian Children Suffering from Recurrent Urticaria

Background: human toxocariasis is one of the most common zoonotic helminthiases reported all over the world. Large spectrum of clinical diseases due to toxocariasis including cutaneous diseases particularly urticaria has been identified by recent diagnostic laboratory tests. Objective: it was to evaluate the Toxocara seroprevalence in children diagnosed with chronic urticaria (CU) and to identify its possible relationship with epidemiological, laboratory and clinical aspects, through a case–control study presented at the Dermatology Outpatient Clinic of Al-Azhar University Hospital in New Damietta City. Patients and Methods: seventy children diagnosed with CU and seventy healthy controls were included in the study. Sociodemographic risk factors for toxocariasis were analyzed based on a questionnaire collected from the children’s parents or guardians, then all of the children were subjected to thorough clinical examination, stool examination to exclude other parasites and blood samples were collected and tested for eosinophilic count by CBC as well as estimation of anti-Toxocara IgG antibodies by means of western blot (WB) test. Results: Toxocara IgG was positive in 18.5% (n=13). It was significantly higher than among the cross-matched 70 healthy controls (4.2%). This study confirmed the possibility of significant association between the seroprevalence of Toxocara and possible socioepidemiological factors as contact with pets or soil, geophagia as well as state of house. Regarding clinical manifestations and laboratory investigations, bronchial asthma, rhinitis and conjunctivitis were found to be significantly associated with Toxocara seroprevalence. Conclusion: Toxocara infection should be considered as an important cause of recurrent urticaria among children population in developing countries.

Seroepidemiological Evaluation of Toxocariasis in Egyptian Children Suffering from Recurrent Urticaria

Background: human toxocariasis is one of the most common zoonotic helminthiases reported all over the world. Large spectrum of clinical diseases due to toxocariasis including cutaneous diseases particularly urticaria has been identified by recent diagnostic laboratory tests. Objective: it was to evaluate the Toxocara seroprevalence in children diagnosed with chronic urticaria (CU) and to identify its possible relationship with epidemiological, laboratory and clinical aspects, through a case–control study presented at the Dermatology Outpatient Clinic of Al-Azhar University Hospital in New Damietta City. Patients and Methods: seventy children diagnosed with CU and seventy healthy controls were included in the study. Sociodemographic risk factors for toxocariasis were analyzed based on a questionnaire collected from the children’s parents or guardians, then all of the children were subjected to thorough clinical examination, stool examination to exclude other parasites and blood samples were collected and tested for eosinophilic count by CBC as well as estimation of anti-Toxocara IgG antibodies by means of western blot (WB) test. Results: Toxocara IgG was positive in 18.5% (n=13). It was significantly higher than among the cross-matched 70 healthy controls (4.2%). This study confirmed the possibility of significant association between the seroprevalence of Toxocara and possible socioepidemiological factors as contact with pets or soil, geophagia as well as state of house. Regarding clinical manifestations and laboratory investigations, bronchial asthma, rhinitis and conjunctivitis were found to be significantly associated with Toxocara seroprevalence. Conclusion: Toxocara infection should be considered as an important cause of recurrent urticaria among children population in developing countries.

An innovative approach in the detection of Toxocara canis excretory/secretory antigens using specific nanobodies

Human toxocariasis is a zoonosis resulting from the migration of larval stages of the dog parasite Toxocara canis into the human paratenic host. Despite its well-known limitations, serology remains the most important tool to diagnose the disease. Our objective was to employ camelid single domain antibody fragments also known as nanobodies (Nbs) for a specific and sensitive detection of Toxocara canis excretory/secretory (TES) antigens. From an alpaca immune Nb library, we retrieved different Nbs with specificity for TES antigens. Based on ELISA experiments, these Nbs did not show any cross-reactivity with Ascaris lumbricoides, Ascaris suum, Pseudoterranova decipiens, Anisakis simplex and Angiostrongylus cantonensis larval antigens. Western blot and immunocapturing revealed that Nbs 1TCE39, 1TCE52 and 2TCE49 recognise shared epitopes on different components of TES antigen. The presence of disulphide bonds in the target antigen seems to be essential for recognition of the epitopes by these three Nbs. Three separate sandwich ELISA formats, using monovalent and bivalent Nbs, were assessed to maximise the detection of TES antigens in solution. The combination of biotinylated, bivalent Nb 2TCE49 on a streptavidin pre-coated plate to capture TES antigens, and Nb 1TCE39 chemically coupled to horseradish peroxidase for detection of the captured TES antigens, yielded the most sensitive ELISA with a limit of detection of 0.650 ng/ml of TES antigen, spiked in serum. Moreover, the assay was able to detect TES antigens in sera from mice, taken 3 days after the animals were experimentally infected with T. canis. The specific characteristics of Nbs make this ELISA not only a promising tool for the detection of TES antigens in clinical samples, but also for a detailed structural and functional study of TES antigens.

Seroprevalence Study on Human Toxocariasis (T. canis) with Relation to Religion Using ELISA Technique: A Case Study of Six Government Hospitals Adamawa State, Nigeria

Seroprevalence study on human Toxocariasis ( T.canis ) Antibody titre using ELISA Technique was conducted amongst the two major religions (Christians and Moslems) in Six Government Hospitals of Adamawa State Nigeria, between the months of January to June 2018. Five hundred and sixty four (564) samples were collected using non randomised sampling technique. Statistical analyses were carried out using Statistix 9.1 and the results obtained from the study revealed an overall Seroprevalence rate of 46.82%. Seroprevalence results indicated that 167(29.61%) Christians and 97(17.21%) Moslems were positive showing a negative correlation (-0.0332) and was statistically non-significant P = (0.4315). In conclusion the study showed that there is a very high Seroprevalence of Toxocara canis Antibody titre amongst the different religions in the studied population. Therefore it is recommended that Anti-Toxocara Antibody screening be included into routine medical diagnosis in government hospitals and also in private medical outfits. It is also recommended that further studies on molecular diagnosis be carried out to ascertain the gene markers responsible for the pathology caused to the host by ( T.canis ). Keywords: Antibody, Seroprevalence, Religion, Tribe, Adamawa, pork, Toxocara canis and Seropositivity DOI : 10.7176/JBAH/9-10-07 Publication date :May 31 st 2019

Serological Study of Human Toxocariasis Using Elisa Technique in Six Hospitals, Adamawa State, Nigeria

Study on the Human Seroprevalence of Toxocara canis ( T.canis ) Antibody titre using ELISA Technique was conducted in Six Hospitals of Adamawa State Nigeria, between the months of January to June 2018. Five hundred and sixty four (564) samples were collected using non randomised sampling technique. Statistical analyses were carried out using Statistix 9.1 and the results obtained from the study revealed an overall Seroprevalence rate of 63.65%. Age range 21 to 30 years indicated that 7.45% Males and 13.65% Females were positive, with age showing no any significant correlation to Anti-Toxocara Antibody titre. Also results based on Sex revealed that 215 (38.12%) Females and 144 (25.53%) Males reacted positive with Sex having no significant correlation to Anti-Toxocara Antibody titre. Seroprevalence results based on Religion and Dog ownership indicated that 167(29.61%) Christians and 97(17.21%) Moslems were positive with Religion showing a negative correlation. Owners of dogs accounted for 58(10.28%) of the samples analysed, with dog ownership showing a negative correlation. Seropositivity base on Socioeconomic Status, reveals that Housewives had 141(25.01%) while under care (children under one year) had 23(4.08%) with socioeconomic status showing an association with Anti-Toxocara Antibody titre. Results on Tribes reveals that Fulani’s had 67(11.85%), Yalla accounted for 1(0.18%) with Tribe showing a weak significance difference to Anti- Toxocara Antibody titre. In conclusion the study showed that there is a very high Seroprevalence of Toxocara canis Antibody titre amongst the studied population. Therefore it is recommended that Anti-Toxocara Antibody screening be included into routine medical diagnosis to also cover private medical outfits. It is also recommended that further studies on molecular diagnosis be carried out to ascertain the gene markers responsible for the pathology caused to the host by ( T.canis ). Keywords: Antibody, Seroprevalence, Religion, Tribe, Adamawa, pork, Toxocara canis and Seropositivity DOI : 10.7176/JBAH/9-10-06 Publication date :May 31 st 2019

Corrigendum to “A survey on Toxocara cati eggs on the hair of stray cats: A potential risk factor for human toxocariasis in Northeastern Iran” [Comp. Immunol. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 64 (2019) 10–13

Corrigendum to “A survey on Toxocara cati eggs on the hair of stray cats: A potential risk factor for human toxocariasis in Northeastern Iran” [Comp. Immunol. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 64 (2019) 10–13

A survey on Toxocara cati eggs on the hair of stray cats: A potential risk factor for human toxocariasis in Northeastern Iran

The objective of this study was to investigate the presence of Toxocara eggs on the hair of stray cats. The total number of stray cats trapped and included in the trial was 167 that were collected weekly from different residential areas of Mashhad, in northeastern Iran, from November 2016 to December 2017. Among the 167 cats, 18 (10.8%) of them were positive to T. cati eggs in their hair. In the positive cats, 7 (39%) were adult, 1 (6%) was juvenile and 10 (55%) were kittens. Overall, the mean number of eggs from positive cats was 3.9 ± 1.7 eggs per gram (epg) of hair per cat with an average of 3.1 ± 1.4 in adults, 4.9 in juveniles and 4.3 ± 1.6 in kittens. In total, 39.9% of the eggs recovered were non-viable 35.5% were viable, 22.2% were embryonating and 2.3% were embryonated which embryonated eggs were found only in juveniles. Based on our data, kittens were responsible for 61.7% of the total number of eggs. The age of the cat was found to be an important risk factor associated with parasitic infection.. This study showed that cat hair contaminated by T. cati eggs in different developmental stages represents of potential source for human toxocariasis.

Diagnostic Potential of Anti-Rte30 Polyclonal Antibodies in a Blocking Elisa for Toxocara canis Detection

The main etiologic agent of human toxocariasis, a zoonotic disease, is the helminth Toxocara canis. Among the diagnostics used for human toxocariasis, ELISA using T. canis excretion and secretion antigen (TES) is considered as a standard technique. TES antigen requires the cultivation of T. canis larvae, which makes its production difficult. Besides this, the use of TES antigen does not eliminate the cross-reactions with other similar proteins that are produced by other intestinal worms. In this context, recombinant antigens are being tested to improve the diagnosis of human toxocariasis. Herein, we describe the production of polyclonal antibodies against recombinant protein TES30 (pAb-rTES30) and evaluate its use in a blocking ELISA (b-ELISA) using human sera. The b-ELISA showed 95.6% sensitivity and 94.4% specificity. Thus, the b-ELISA using pAb-rTES30 offers a viable option for toxocariasis diagnosis owing to its configuration, which prevents cross-reactivity with non-species-specific antibodies.

Human toxocariasis seroprevalence among patients with uveitis in Alborz Province, Iran.

Toxocariasis, predominantly caused by Toxocara canis, is a common zoonotic parasitosis worldwide. Toxocara infection is a cause of vision impairment and blindness. The presented study investigates the frequency of antibodies against Toxocara among uveitis patients and the epidemiological factors associated with disease. Fifty-four patients with uveitis and 59 healthy subjects were studied. Anti-Toxocara antibodies status was determined in all serum samples using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and seropositive samples analyzed by Western blot (WB) technique. The frequency of Toxocara canis infection was found to be significantly higher in uveitis patients, compared to healthy controls by the use of ELISA test, being 14.8% and 1.7%, respectively. From 8 seropositive samples, 5 (62.5%) patients exhibited Toxocara immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies in response to Western blot, whereas in the control group, none were detected positive by Western blot. No significant difference was found between pet owners, nor between different places of residence. The seroprevalence to Toxocara among uveitis patients was significantly related to gender, age and medical diagnosis. The highest prevalence was found in patients with posterior uveitis (27.8%). Anti-Toxocara antibody titers are associated with the risk of vision impairment -uveitis. The risk factor associated with Toxocara exposure identified in this study warrants further investigation.

Toxocara Seroprevalence and Associated Risk Factors Among Ilam Children, West of Iran

Background: Human toxocariasis is caused by Toxocara canis and cati, which are the main ascarids of dogs and cats, respectively. Most infected humans are asymptomatic and our understanding of human disease burden is limited by lack of epidemiological studies and insufficient clinical awareness. Objectives: There is no precise report on the seroprevalence of toxocariasis in Ilam children. Therefore, this study found an opportunity to investigate this subject. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 300 sera of children aged between 2 to 15 years old were collected during March 2016 to February 2017 in urban and rural areas. Demographic variables were filled for each person in accordance with risk factors along with sampling. Some hematological parameters were measured. The sera were examined for anti Toxocara canis and cati antibodies, according to the ELISA kit protocol. Results: Among a total of 300 serum samples, 35 (11.7) were positive for anti-Toxocara IgG. The infection rates were 5.3 and 6.3 in female and male, respectively. There was no significant relationship between gender and Toxocara infection rates (P = 0.59). A total of 26 (17.3) of the 150 rural children, and nine (6.0) of the 150 urban children were positive. There was a significant relationship between place of living with ELISA tests results (P = 0.004). Hematologic parameters showed a significant increase in the numbers of peripheral eosinophil in the sample of patients whose sera were positive (P = 0.037). Conclusions: High prevalence of toxocariasisamongIlam children in the west of Iran can be considered as a public health problem. The evaluating infection control programs in dog and cats are necessary for controlling the disease in this region. © 2018, Author(s).

Risk factors and prevalence of toxocariasis in pregnant women and diabetic patients compared to healthy adults in Ilam province, western Iran.

Toxocara is one of the common intestinal nematodes in dogs and cats and is the agent of tissue migratory larvae in humans. Customarily, the prevalence of human toxocariasis hovers around 15.8 % in Iran. Furthermore, other research outcomes demonstrated a tendency for an outbreak of toxocariasis in Iran. Therefore, we carried out a cross-sectional study and assessed the seroprevalence of toxocariasis humans in Ilam Province, western of Iran. A total of 539 serum samples were collected between September 2017 and March 2018 from patients referred to the Health Centers of Ilam province, Iran. Serum samples were investigated for the presence of Toxocara using IgG antibodies, ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) kit. Risk factors such as contact with cats and dogs, living in rural areas were investigated among the study population. Out of 539 total samples collected, 97 cases (17.99 %) were positive for anti-toxocara IgG antibodies. These antibodies were recovered from serum samples of otherwise healthy adults (15.54 %, 49/296), pregnant women (21.16 %, 40/189) and diabetic patients (14.81 %, 8/54). This study showed significant relationship between toxocariasis and contact with animal pets in all studied groups (P value ≤ 0.05) and a significant relationship between toxocariasis and living in rural areas among pregnant women (P value ≤ 0.05).

Dog walking brings Toxocara eggs to people's homes

To find out the transmission routes for Toxocara infection, the possibility of transfer of Toxocara eggs from the soil on the paws of animals and on the shoes of people was explored. For this purpose, a study was conducted to find helminth eggs in washings from the paws of dogs after walking, from the shoes of their owners, as well as non-dog owners. Toxocara eggs were detected in 19.4% of the dogs’ paws washings and in 11.4% of washings from the shoes of their owners. The number of eggs found on the paws was about twice as high as on the shoes. The mean number of eggs in the sample was 2.9 in washings from the paws and 1.8 from the shoes. In the samples, Toxocara cati eggs prevailed both in occurrence and in abundance. Out of the total number of positive samples, the eggs of T. cati were found in 83%, and T. canis in 42%. 79% of the found eggs belonged to T. cati and 21% to T. canis. In the washings from shoes of people that do not own dogs, the eggs of parasites were not found. This study demonstrates that the helminth eggs can be transferred from contaminated soil to people’s homes on the paws and shoe soles. Even animals without a patent infection may take part in propagation of infection causing risks of human toxocariasis. In dogs, in addition, the transferred on paws T. canis eggs can serve as a causative agent of permanent, cumulative subclinical infection with a deferred manifestation in posterity. It is supposed that infestation “through the paws” is one of the probable routes of transmission of toxocariasis in dogs.