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A Survey on the seroprevalence of toxocariasis and related risk factors in Eosinophilic Children of Northwest Iran


Arash Pourgholaminejad
Habib Razipour
Peyman Heydarian
Keyhan Ashrafi
Zahra Atrkar Roushan
Meysam Sharifdini

Abstract

Background: Toxocariasis is a serious zoonotic helminthic disease caused by the nematodes; Toxocara species.


Aim: A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of toxocariasis and related risk factors in eosinophilic children referred to the pediatrics hospital of Qazvin province northwest Iran during 2019-2020.


Methods: A total of 200 blood samples were collected from eosinophilic children referred to the Qods Pediatrics Hospital. Demographic data, clinical symptoms, and dogs- and soil-contact history were collected. The presence of anti-Toxocara IgG antibody was evaluated by T. canis IgG ELISA kit.


Results: Anti-Toxocara IgG antibodies were detected in 14 (7%) of the total eosinophilic children. The seropositive rate of toxocariasis in hyper-eosinophilic children (>1000/mm3) was 15.1%, while the seropositivity was 4.1% in children with eosinophilia status (500-999/mm3). There was a significant association between the eosinophilia rate and seropositivity (P<0.05). Also, seroprevalence in asymptomatic eosinophilic children was 4.4%, while in children with clinical symptoms it was 17.1%. Accordingly, a statistically significant difference was found between clinical symptoms and Toxocara infection (P<0.05).


Conclusion: The prevalence of toxocariasis in eosinophilic children is a serious health problem in the study area. Therefore, serologic evaluation for the diagnosis of Toxocara infection is recommended for eosinophilic children.


Keywords: Seroprevalence; Toxocariasis; anti-Toxocara antibody; Eosinophilia children; Qazvin; Iran.


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eISSN: 1729-0503
print ISSN: 1680-6905