CLINICAL AND SEROLOGICAL EVIDENCE OF Toxocara INFECTION IN SCHOOL CHILDREN FROM MORROPE DISTRICT, LAMBAYEQUE, PERU

• Published in: Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo 2008-03, Vol.50 (2), p.101-105
• Main Authors: ESPINOZA, Yrma A, HUAPAYA, Pedro H, ROLDAN, William H, JIMENEZ, Susana, ARCE, Zhandra, LOPEZ, Elmer
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies, Helminth - blood; Biological and medical sciences; Cats; Child; Child, Preschool; Diseases caused by nematodes; Dogs; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Feces - parasitology; Female; General aspects; Helminthic diseases; Humans; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Infant; Infectious diseases; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic - diagnosis; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic - epidemiology; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic - parasitology; Larva migrans syndromes; Male; Medical sciences; Parasitic diseases; Peru - epidemiology; Prevalence; Risk Factors; Severity of Illness Index; Toxocara - immunology; Toxocara - isolation & purification; Toxocariasis - diagnosis; Toxocariasis - epidemiology; TROPICAL MEDICINE
• ISSN: 0036-4665; 1678-9946; 1678-9946; 0036-4665
• DOI: 10.1590/S0036-46652008000200007

The aim of this study was to estimate the frequency of human toxocariosis in a child population from Morrope district, Lambayeque, Peru. From October to December 2005, 182 school children (96 male and 86 female) were studied. Blood samples were collected for Toxocara ELISA-IgG test and hematological examination. Additionally, stool samples were collected for coproparasitological examination to check cross reactions. We found frequency of positives in 32.4% (59/182) with a significant higher proportion of positivity in male children (p < 0.00001). 71.2% of the children with positive serology (52 male and seven female), were between five and 10 years old, 77.96% had respiratory symptoms, 61.02% had ocular manifestations, 38.98% had hepatic symptoms, 38.98% had mild or moderate eosinophilia, signs statistically associated with seropositivity. 83.5% of studied population had some intestinal parasite, such as: Blastocystis hominis (53.3%), Giardia lamblia (31.3%), Entamoeba coli (29.1%), Entamoeba histolytica/E. dispar (1.1%), Hymenolepis nana (5.49%), and Ascaris lumbricoides (3.3%), but they had not any association with serology results. The ownership of dogs or/and cats were significantly associated with seropositivity to anti-Toxocara antibodies although the presence of such pets within the house was not. In conclusion, clinical and serological evidence of Toxocara infection exists in the studied population.