Comparable seropositivity for ascariasis and toxocariasis in tropical slum children.
The seropositivities for infection by Ascaris lumbricoides and Toxocara canis were determined in children (1-15 years old) of a slum area of Caracas, Venezuela, and the levels that indicate the presence of active infection were defined. In children aged from 1 to 3 years, approximately 10% were positive for either parasite, and this figure increased to about 30% in 4- to 6-year-olds. For toxocariasis, the percentage of positivity remained at this level up to the age of 15 years. Whilst the positivity in children 10-15 years of age was comparable for Ascaris and Toxocara, a peak of positivity (50%) was found for Ascaris at 7-9 years of age. These results indicate that for these urban slum children, infection by Toxocara is essentially as common as that by Ascaris and, thus, that toxocariasis represents a potential public health problem in the tropical environment that is largely overlooked.
Lynch
N R
NR
Instituto de Biomedicina, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas.
Hagel
I
I
Vargas
V
V
Rotundo
A
A
Varela
M C
MC
Di Prisco
M C
MC
Hodgen
A N
AN
D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood*; D001196:Ascariasis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D011204:Poverty Areas; D015995:Prevalence; D014120:Toxocariasis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014505:Urban Population; D014687:Venezuela / Q000453:epidemiology
D000909:Antibodies, Helminth