Toxocara seroprevalence in children from a subtropical city in Argentina

Autor: José Mario ALONSO, María V. I. BOJANICH, Miryam CHAMORRO, Jorge O. GORODNER
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2000
Předmět:
Zdroj: Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Vol 42, Iss 4, Pp 235-237 (2000)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1678-9946
Popis: Most studies from Argentina have focused on toxocariasis as an environmental problem of big cities, and there are no available data about children infection from small or middle-sized cities. In order to assess the prevalence of anti-Toxocara antibodies in infantile population, 206 children from Resistencia, of both sexes, aged 1-14 years old were studied by Elisa testing with E/S T. canis L2 antigens. Hematological parameters and immunoglobulin levels were determined; five days' stool samples were studied and epidemiological data were obtained by means of a questionnaire to parents. Results showed that 73% of the children had one or more dogs living at home, 57% reported geophagia and 37.9% were positive for Toxocara serology, but there was no significant difference in prevalence neither for boys and girls, nor concerning age. An increased risk of infection was observed in age groups 5-6 and 7-8 for boys, and in age groups 3-4 and 5-6 for girls.
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