title: Clinical and serological evidence of Toxocara infection in school children from Morrope district, Lambayeque, Peru.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Sección de Parasitología, Instituto de Medicina Tropical Daniel A. Carrión, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Callao, Perú. iespinozab@unmsm.edu.pe
authors.forename: Yrma A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Espinoza
authors.forename: Pedro H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Huapaya
authors.forename: William H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Roldán
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jiménez
authors.forename: Zhandra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Arce
authors.forename: Elmer
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lopez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood; D002415:Cats; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004285:Dogs; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D010568:Peru / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014119:Toxocara / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014120:Toxocariasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D007074:Immunoglobulin G