Human toxocariasis: a seroepidemiological survey in the Amazonian city of Yurimaguas, Peru Toxocaríase humana: inquérito soroepidemiológico na cidade amazônica de Yurimaguas, Peru

• Published in: Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo
• Main Authors: William H. Roldán, Yuri A. Cavero, Yrma A. Espinoza, Susana Jiménez, César A. Gutiérrez
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade de São Paulo (USP) 2010
• Subjects: Toxocariasis; Epidemiology; Survey; ELISA; Peru; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/S0036-46652010000100006; https://doaj.org/article/806d48631b3f4a3cbbf1003558bca3f9

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. O objetivo do presente estudo foi estimar a soroprevalência da infecção por Toxocara em população geral da cidade de Yurimaguas, Peru. Entre os meses de Março e Agosto de 2008, foi estudado um total de 300 pessoas por exame imunológico mediante Toxocara ELISA-IgG teste. Uma ficha clínico-epidemiológica foi utilizada para avaliar a sintomatologia e os fatores de risco associados à toxocaríase. A freqüência geral de anticorpos na população foi de 35,66% com proporção significativamente maior de positividade em meninos de um a 10 anos (p < 0.001). A avaliação clínica revelou que 95.33% do grupo de soropositivos apresentava algum tipo de sintomatologia associada à ...