Human toxocariasis is a zoonotic infection caused by the larval stage of Toxocara species. A relationship between toxocariasis and multiple sclerosis has been hypothesized. In this study, we aimed at investigating the frequency of Toxocara infection among multiple sclerosis patients and the epidemiological factors associated with disease. Sixty-eight patients with multiple sclerosis and 70 healthy subjects were studied. Anti-Toxocara antibodies status was determined in all serum samples, using ELISA technique. The frequency of Toxocara infection was found to be significantly higher in multiple sclerosis patients as compared to the healthy control (14.7%, 1.4%, respectively) (P=0.004). There was no significant difference between multiple sclerosis patients and control group in age, education, and gender (P>0.05). This study indicates that a significant association between Toxocara seropositivity and multiple sclerosis. Our finding suggests that toxocariasis infection may increase the risk of multiple sclerosis.

Toxocariasis is a parasitic zoonosis with worldwide distribution that affects both cats and dogs. Necropsy of 114 stray cats from Shiraz revealed that 106 (92.9%) stray cats were infected at least with one of the intestinal helminth species. The overall infection rates in stray cats infected with cestoda and nematoda were 105(99.1%) and 101(95.3%) respectively. The detected cestodes were Joyeuxiella pasqualei (34.3%), Dipylidium caninum (49.5%), Taenia taeniaeformis (12.3%), Spirometra sp. (3.8%) and the detected nematodes were Physaloptera sp. (44.6%), Toxocara cati (42.6%) and Toxascaris leonina (12.9%). The study revealed that T. cati was one of the most frequently detected intestinal helminths, which is an important source of zoonotic helminths.
helminthic ; Toxocara cati ; Statistical Prevalence ; Iran ; parasitic

Toxocariasis is a consequence of human infection by Toxocara larvae. There are symptomatic (visceral, ocular) and asymptomatic course of toxocariasis. The ocular form is very rare. We present a 6-year-old patient who developed an ocular form of toxocariasis caused by Toxocaracati. He demonstrated lesions in the peripheral retina of the right eye. White granuloma was present in the superior peripheral retina. A positive immunological assay for toxocariasis essentially completed the outcomes. On the basis of clinical manifestations and conducted examinations, a diagnosis of ocular form of toxocariasis was established. Albendazole and corticosteroids were applied in treatment. Current results clearly highlight the usefulness of excretory-secretory antigens derived from larvae of Toxocara cati for the fine diagnosis ocular larva migrans caused by Toxocara larvae.

Epilepsy is one of the most important neurological diseases with prolonged morbidity and cerebral toxoplasmosis is one of the main cause’s aquired epilepsy in developing countries. In this study, we aimed at investigating the frequency of Toxoplasma infection among patients with cryptogenic epilepsy and the epidemiological factors associated with disease. Eighty fi ve patients with cryptogenic epilepsy and 85 healthy subjects were studied. Anti-Toxoplasma antibody status was determined in all serum samples, using ELISA technique. The frequency of Toxoplasma infection was found to be signifi cantly higher in epilepsy patients as compared to the healthy control (14.1%, 4.7%, respectively) (P=0.036). There was no signifi cant difference between cryptogenic epilepsy patients and healthy control in age, education, gender and residency (P>0.05). This study indicates that Toxoplasma infection is a risk factor for epilepsy in Iran.

Mongolian gerbils and Wistar rats were inoculated orally with 240 and 2,500 Toxocara cati embryonated eggs, respectively, to evaluate the larval recovery in different tissues and organs, such as the liver, lungs, heart, kidney, and skeletal muscles after 5, 30, 49, 70, and 92 days post-infection (PI). Larval recovery rates were 1.7-30.0% in Mongolian gerbils on days 5-92 PI and 0.2-3.8% in rats on the same days. These results indicate that Mongolian gerbils and Wistar rats are suitable experimental paratenic hosts for the study of neurological toxocariasis as well as visceral toxocariasis.
Animal Structures/parasitology ; Animals ; *Disease Models, Animal ; Gerbillinae ; Histocytochemistry ; Male ; Microscopy ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Toxocara/*pathogenicity ; Toxocariasis/*parasitology/*pathology

Treatment of hydatid disease is mainly surgical, with medical treatment being reserved as a coadjuvant treatment. Use of effective scolicidal agents during surgery of cystic echinococcosis is essential to reduce the recurrence rate. The goal of this study was to evaluate the in vitro scolicidal effects of hydroalcoholic extracts of Satureja khuzestanica leaves and aqueous extracts of Olea europaea leaves on hydatid cyst protoscolices. Echinococcus granulosus protoscolices were collected from the liver of sheep infected with the hydatid cyst. Various concentrations of plant extracts were used in different exposure times for viability assay of protoscolices. Among the olive leaf extracts tested, 0.1% and 0.01% concentrations had strong scolicidal effects in 120 min. S. khuzestanica 0.1% had very strong scolicidal effects in 30, 60, and 120 min of exposure times and the mortality rate decreased with the lower concentration. The finding have shown that the scolicidal activity of S. khuzestanica against cystic echinococosis protoscolices were more effective, while the O. europaea extract showed less effects.
Animals ; Anthelmintics/*pharmacology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Echinococcosis/drug therapy/*parasitology ; Echinococcus granulosus/drug effects/physiology ; Humans ; Olea/*chemistry ; Plant Extracts/*pharmacology ; Plant Leaves/chemistry ; Satureja/*chemistry

Toxocariasis is a consequence of human infection by Toxocara larvae. There are symptomatic (visceral, ocular) and asymptomatic course of toxocariasis. The ocular form is very rare. We present a 6-year-old patient who developed an ocular form of toxocariasis caused by Toxocara cati. He demonstrated lesions in the peripheral retina of the right eye. White granuloma was present in the superior peripheral retina. A positive immunological assay for toxocariasis essentially completed the outcomes. On the basis of clinical manifestations and conducted examinations, a diagnosis of ocular form of toxocariasis was established. Albendazole and corticosteroids were applied in treatment. Current results clearly highlight the usefulness of excretory-secretory antigens derived from larvae of Toxocara cati for the fine diagnosis ocular larva migrans caused by Toxocara larvae.