title: Toxocara infection in gardeners: a case control seroprevalence study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the association of Toxocara infection and gardening occupation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Through a case-control seroprevalence study, 168 gardeners and 168 age- and gender-matched control subjects without gardening occupation were compared for the presence of anti-Toxocara IgG antibodies in Durango City, Mexico. Socio-demographic, clinical, and behavioral characteristics of participants associated with toxocariasis were also investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 3 (1.8%) of the 168 gardeners, and 3 (1.8%) of the 168 controls were positive for anti-Toxocara IgG antibodies (odds ratio=1.00; 95% confidence interval: 0.01-50.40; P=1.00). Gardeners seropositive for Toxocara were males aged 21, 28 and 35 years old. Seropositivity to Toxocara in gardeners was not associated with age, gender, educational level and type of flooring at home. The frequency of Toxocara-seropositivity was similar in gardeners regardless their seniority in the activity, frequency of contact with soil, habitual use of safety practices (use of hand gloves and face masks), history of splashes at face with water or mud, injuries with sharp material at work, eating when working, washing hands before eating, contact with cats or dogs, and cleaning feces. Of the clinical data, all 3 Toxocara-seropositive gardeners were healthy and did not have visual impairment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that gardeners do not have a higher risk for Toxocara infection than subjects of the general population in Durango City, Mexico. However, further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to elucidate the association of toxocariasis with gardening occupation.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Research Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine and Nutrition, Juárez University of Durango State, Avenida Universidad S/N, 34000 Durango, Mexico. Electronic address: alvaradocosme@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Cosme
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alvarado-Esquivel
authors.affiliation: Institute for Scientific Research "Dr. Roberto Rivera-Damm", Juárez University of Durango State, Avenida Universidad S/N, 34000 Durango, Mexico.
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hernández-Tinoco
authors.affiliation: Institute for Scientific Research "Dr. Roberto Rivera-Damm", Juárez University of Durango State, Avenida Universidad S/N, 34000 Durango, Mexico.
authors.forename: Luis Francisco
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Anguiano
keywords: Case control study; Epidemiology; Gardeners; Risk factors; Seroprevalence; Toxocariasis