Seroprevalence of Toxocariasis in Schoolchildren in Northern Iran

Abstract

This cross-sectional study was carried out on 1210 randomly selected schoolchildren, attending sixteen primary and secondary schools, during the period between November 2005 and June 2006. Parents who accepted to include their children were requested to be present at sampling time and to fill in a simple questionnaire with personal and epidemiological data. Three milliliter of venous blood were taken by vein puncture under sterile conditions from each subject for detection and titration of antibodies to T. canis and eosinophil counts. Total IgG anti-Toxocara antibodies was evaluated by T. canis IgG ELISA kit. According to the manufacture recommendations, an index positivity >11 U was considered positive. Of the 1210 serum specimens tested, an overall seroprevalence for Toxocara antibodies of 25% was obtained. There was no association between positive seroprevalence and age (p = 0.34). Boys and girls differed significantly with regard to Toxocra titre (p = 0.003). Eosinophilia in peripheral blood (> or = 5%) was detected in 24.5% (297/1210) of the population studied, 97/297 (32.8%) of whom were seropositive for toxocariasis. The findings of this study confirmed that infection with Toxocara is quite high and widespread in children in Northern Iran. Therefore, health promotion efforts must be directed at increasing the awareness of the population about the potential zoonotic hazards associated with the disease and how to minimize them.

Epidemiology and Control of Child Toxocariasis in the Western Brazilian Amazon – A Population-Based Study

“…This result is similar to the prevalence found in other studies of children 15 years of age, such as those from nonAmazonian Brazil (21.8-48.4%), [34][35][36][37] Nigeria (29.6%), 38 Iran (25-25.6%), 39,40 and Argentina (23-37.9%). 41,42 There are few studies published about toxocariasis epidemiology in the Brazilian Amazon.…”

“…47 Several other studies also found an association between dog ownership or dog contact and toxocariasis. 4,39,41,48,49 Wolfe and Wright 50 analyzed fur samples from 60 dogs in Ireland and United Kingdom, and they found the presence of T. canis eggs in 25% of the samples, proving the possibility of parasite transmission because of direct contact with dogs. Other studies found prevalence between 21.56% and 95% of dogs with eggs in their fur.…”

Toxocara Seroprevalence and Associated Risk Factors Among Ilam Children, West of Iran

“…In this study, the seropositive rates for Toxocara in children was high compared to other parts of Iran, such as 2% in Isfahan and 5.2% in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province (central) (18,19), 1.39% in Ahvaz (southwest) (20), 8.8% in Hamadan and 8.46% in Kermanshah province (west) (21,22), as well as 2.7% in Zanjan city and 3% in Urmia (northwest) (23,24). However, it was relatively low compared to 25.6% in Shiraz province (southern) (12), 25% in Sari city (north) (14), and 29.46 % in East Azerbaijan province (northwest) (25).…”

“…Like a similar study (14), the sample size was calculated on seroprevalence of 30%, d = 0.052 at a confidence level of 95%. The study population size was obtained to be 298.…”

Domestic dog as a human health hazard in north of Iran

“…Because of the high incidence of Toxocara eggs, it can be concluded that the environment in the examined places may be seriously contaminated with the infective form of this helminth, which raises the possibility of infection for humans. Overall prevalence of IgG antiToxocara antibodies in schoolchildren using ELISA method was evaluated 25 % in Sari, Mazandaran Province, north of Iran (Sharif et al 2010). Human infection by Toxocara sp.…”