Seroprevalence of human toxocariasis in Andean communities from the Northeast of Lima, Peru

• Autor(a) principal: Espinoza, Yrma A.
• Data de Publicação: 2010
• Outros Autores: Huapaya, Pedro E., Roldán, William H., Jiménez, Susana, Abanto, Enma P., Rojas, Carlos A., Cavero, Yuri A., Gutiérrez, César A.
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo
• Texto Completo: https://www.revistas.usp.br/rimtsp/article/view/31298
• topic: Seroprevalence; Toxocariasis; Andean communities; Risk factors; Peru

The aim of this study was to assess the seroprevalence of human toxocariasis in three Andean communities from the Northeast of Lima, Peru. A total of 303 subjects including children and adults were studied and blood samples were collected to detect anti-Toxocara antibodies by ELISA-IgG test and by hematological examination; stool samples were collected also for parasitological examination. The overall seroprevalence of toxocariasis observed in the total population was 20.46%, with a significant high proportion in children from one to 10 years old (p = 0.034). Among the subjects with positive serology, 32.26% of them had respiratory disturbances, 22.58% hepatomegaly, 17.74% ocular signs or symptoms, 14.51% abdominal pain, 9.68% neurological involvement, and 4.84% cutaneous signs, but none of these clinical features were associated to a positive serology by multivariate analysis. Furthermore, 79.03% of seropositive subjects also harbored at least one intestinal parasite, which was associated to a positive serology (p < 0.05). The presence of pets within the houses, a previous history of pica or geophagia and the use of public places were also present in this population, but only the latter was associated to the serology (p < 0.05). In conclusion, clinical, serological, and epidemiological evidences for larval Toxocara infection were found in the studied population.