A familial case of visceral larva migrans after ingestion of raw chicken livers: appearance of specific antibody in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of the patients.
We report a familial case of visceral larva migrans (VLM) caused by Toxocara canis larvae. Patient 1 was a 45-year-old man who presented to our university hospital complaining of mild fever, general fatigue, and headache. Patient 2 was a 71-year-old man and was the father of Patient 1; he presented complaining of cough and hyper-viscous white sputum. Laboratory data from both patients showed extensive eosinophilia, their chest X-ray findings revealed multiple pulmonary infiltrates, and their bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) showed an elevated eosinophil count. The diagnosis of VLM was made based on a positive result in a serological test using T. canis larval excretory-secretory both in the serum and BALF. T. canis larvae were identified in meat that was prepared from chicken taken from the same source as that ingested. This is the first report to identify antibodies in BALF in patients with VLM.
Morimatsu
Yoshitaka
Y
Division of Respiratory Medicine, National Hospital Organization, Kumamoto Medical Center, Kumamoto, Japan. morimatu@kumamoto2.hosp.go.jp
Akao
Nobuaki
N
Akiyoshi
Hiroya
H
Kawazu
Taketoshi
T
Okabe
Yoshinobu
Y
Aizawa
Hisamichi
H
D000368:Aged; D015766:Albendazole / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000032:analysis; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D002645:Chickens / Q000469:parasitology*; D004049:Diethylcarbamazine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005369:Filaricides / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016266:Food Parasitology; D006801:Humans; D007816:Larva Migrans, Visceral / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D017166:Toxocara canis / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014463:Ultrasonography
D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D005369:Filaricides; D015766:Albendazole; D004049:Diethylcarbamazine