Frequency and risk factors for toxocariasis in children from a pediatric outpatient center in southeastern Brazil.
To estimate the frequency of anti-Toxocara sp. antibodies, and evaluate factors associated with this infection, sera from 242 male and female children, aged from one to fifteen years old, attended at the Hospital of the Federal University of Uberlândia, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, were analyzed by ELISA. Information on the patients was collected and registered using an investigative questionnaire, and details on possible clinical alterations were obtained from the medical charts of 187 patients. Of a total of 242 samples, 21 (8.7%) were positive for anti-Toxocara sp. antibodies. The presence of dogs and cats and the school variable (place of contact), appeared to be significantly associated (p<0.05) with a positive serology. Respiratory symptoms and eosinophil counts greater than 20% also showed a positive statistical correlation with a positive serology for Toxocara sp.. Factors such as sex and age, and symptoms like headache, stomach ache, convulsive crises and anemia were not associated with toxocariasis.
Teixeira
Cristiane Rodrigues
CR
Laboratório de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil.
Chieffi
Pedro Paulo
PP
Lescano
Suzana A Z
SA
de Melo Silva
Elisabete Ourique
EO
Fux
Blima
B
Cury
Márcia Cristina
MC
D000293:Adolescent; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002415:Cats; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004285:Dogs; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D014119:Toxocara / Q000276:immunology*; D014120:Toxocariasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology
D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D007074:Immunoglobulin G