Human toxocariasis: a seroepidemiological survey in the Amazonian city of Yurimaguas, Peru

Authors

  • William H. Roldán Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos; Facultad de Medicina; Instituto de Medicina Tropical Daniel A. Carrión; Sección de Parasitología
  • Yuri A. Cavero Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos; Facultad de Medicina; Instituto de Medicina Tropical Daniel A. Carrión; Sección de Parasitología
  • Yrma A. Espinoza Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos; Facultad de Medicina; Instituto de Medicina Tropical Daniel A. Carrión; Sección de Parasitología
  • Susana Jiménez Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos; Facultad de Medicina; Departamento de Microbiología Médica
  • César A. Gutiérrez Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos; Facultad de Medicina; Instituto de Medicina Tropical Daniel A. Carrión; Sección de Epidemiología

Keywords:

Toxocariasis, Epidemiology, Survey, ELISA, Peru

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of the infection by Toxocara in the general population of the Amazonian city of Yurimaguas, Peru. From March to August 2008, a total of 300 subjects were sampled and tested by means of a Toxocara ELISA-IgG test. A clinical and epidemiological questionnaire was used to assess the symptomatology and risk factors associated with human toxocariasis. The overall rate of seropositivity was 35.66%, with a significant high proportion in children (p < 0.001). The clinical evaluation revealed that 95.33% of the seropositive group had some type of symptomatology: headache (66.36%), respiratory compromise (63.55%), abdominal pain (54.21%), cutaneous signs (40.19%) and ocular manifestations (36.45%), and almost all of them were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Furthermore, 56.07% of the seropositive subjects presented at least one intestinal pathogen parasite with predominance of helminthes, but without significant association (p = 0.334). The analysis of risk factors showed only that the use of public places and geophagia exhibited a significant association with the seropositivity (p < 0.001). Clinical, serological and epidemiological findings associated to infection with Toxocara were observed in the present study and future studies should be done to assess this serious health problem.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Downloads

Published

2010-02-01

Issue

Section

Toxocariasis

How to Cite

Roldán, W. H., Cavero, Y. A., Espinoza, Y. A., Jiménez, S., & Gutiérrez, C. A. (2010). Human toxocariasis: a seroepidemiological survey in the Amazonian city of Yurimaguas, Peru . Revista Do Instituto De Medicina Tropical De São Paulo, 52(1), 37-42. https://www.revistas.usp.br/rimtsp/article/view/31299