Human toxocariasis: a seroepidemiological survey in the municipality of Campinas (SP), Brazil

• Main Authors: Francisco ANARUMA FILHO, Pedro Paulo CHIEFFI, Carlos Roberto Silveira CORREA, Eide Dias CAMARGO, Edilene P. Real da SILVEIRA, Joana José Brandão ARANHA, Manoel Carlos S. Almeida RIBEIRO
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade de São Paulo (USP) 2002
• Subjects: Human toxocariasis; Toxocara canis; Frequency of infection; Risk factors; Campinas (SP); Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Arctic; Marcos
• Online Access: https://doaj.org/article/cb7343baee2645f6861d0bec86811cb7

The occurrence of human Toxocara infection was evaluated in three neighborhoods of the periphery of the Campinas municipality (Jardim Santa Mônica, Jardim São Marcos and Jardim Campineiro) in 1999. Forty residences and 138 residents were randomly selected by drawing lots and were submitted to a seroepidemiological survey, which included blood collection for the immunoenzymatic detection (ELISA) of anti-Toxocara antibodies and a blood count, and the application of a semi-structured questionnaire for the evaluation of epidemiological data. Significant levels of anti-Toxocara antibodies were detected in 23.9% of the 1999 samples. No significant difference in the frequency of infection according to age was observed. Environmental contamination with Toxocara eggs was observed in 12.3 and 14.0% of 57 soil samples collected in the same region in December 1998 and July 1999, respectively. Univariate analysis and multiple logistic regression of the data obtained from the questionnaires and of the results of the serological tests, suggest a significant influence of socioeconomic variables on the frequency of human infection with Toxocara under the conditions prevalent in the study area.