No abstract available.
Animals ; Eosinophilia/*etiology ; Humans ; Larva Migrans, Visceral/*complications/diagnosis/epidemiology ; Prevalence ; Toxocara canis/isolation & purification

Human toxocariasis is a helminthozoonosis due to the migration of Toxocara species larvae through human organism. Humans become infected by ingesting either embryonated eggs from soil (geophagia, pica), dirty hands or raw vegetables, or larvae from undercooked giblets. The diagnosis relies upon sensitive immunological methods (ELISA or western-blot) which use Toxocara excretory-secretory antigens. Seroprevalence is high in developed countries, especially in rural areas, and also in some tropical islands. The clinical spectrum of the disease comprises four syndromes, namely visceral larva migrans, ocular larva migrans, and the more recently recognized "common" (in adults) and "covert" (in children) pictures. Therapy of ocular toxocariasis is primarily based upon corticosteroids use, when visceral larva migrans and few cases of common or covert toxocariasis can be treated by anthelmintics whose the most efficient appeared to be diethylcarbamazine. When diagnosed, all of these syndromes require thorough prevention of recontamination (especially by deworming pets) and sanitary education.
Animals ; Anthelmintics/therapeutic use ; Antibodies, Helminth/blood ; Biological Markers/blood ; Diethylcarbamazine/therapeutic use ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Human ; Immunoglobulin E/blood ; *Larva Migrans, Visceral/diagnosis/epidemiology ; Toxocara/immunology

We investigated the sero-prevalence of toxocariasis among healthy Korean adults in 1999. A total of 314 sera from normal inhabitants in Whachon-gun, Gangwondo, Korea was examined for specific antibody levels against excretory-secretory products of second stage larvae of Toxocara (TES). The presence of cross-reactions with other helminthiases such as cysticercosis, paragonimiasis, sparganosis or clonorchiasis was also checked by specific IgG ELISA. Sera showing positive reaction against TES were also tested by IgG immunoblot and by IgE ELISA. Out of 314 subjects, 16 was found to be positive by TES IgG ELISA and immunoblot, among whom 12 were also positive by TES IgE ELISA. Among the 16 seropositive samples, two sera showed positive reaction against Paragonimus and sparganum antigen, respectively. These results inferred that cross-reactions were negligible between toxocariasis and other helminthiases. Toxocariasis seroprevalence among Korean rural adults was detected to be approximately 5%.
Adolescent ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Animals ; Antibodies, Helminth/blood ; Cross Reactions ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Human ; Korea/epidemiology ; Larva Migrans, Visceral/*epidemiology/immunology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Toxocara/immunology

Ocular toxocariasis named also ocular larva migrans is caused by larvae of the roundworm Toxocara spp. The purpose of this study was to find out the seroprevalence of Toxocara antibodies in patients suspected of ocular toxocariasis. Between January 2001 and December 2003, sera from 239 ocular patients, aged 3 to 80 years, were examined by ELISA and confirmed by Western blot test. Out of the 239 patients, 172 (72%) were seronegative and 67 (28%) were Toxocara seropositive; 95% CI (22-34%). The median age of Toxocara seropositive patients was 37.6 years. There was no significant difference in the number of Toxocara positive sera between the younger age group (< or =14 years) and the older age group (> 14 years), p > 0.05. A high rate of Toxocara seropositivity in ocular patients should alert the ophthalmologists in Slovenia to include toxocariasis in the differential diagnosis of eye diseases more frequently.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Animals ; Antibodies, Helminth/*blood ; Blotting, Western ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay/methods ; Eye Infections, Parasitic/*epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Larva Migrans, Visceral/epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Slovenia/epidemiology ; Toxocara/*immunology ; Toxocariasis/*epidemiology/immunology