Abstract
Toxocara canis is a common parasite in puppies. The danger to human health has not been properly established. We estimated the current incidence of this pathogen in two western districts of France, Loire-Atlantique and Maine et Loire. Blood samples from 1836 eosino-philic patients were collected and tested by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) excretory-secretoryToxocara antigen test. We obtained positive results in 22% of the cases and highly positive results in 7%. The ELISA data seemed to be age-dependent, with older patients having more positive results (P<0.0001). The interlaboratory distribution of positive test results was statistically significantly different (P<0.0001), suggesting regional sources. The main clinical expressions of toxocariasis were: asthenia, gastric pain, and pulmonary disease. Individual and collective surveys of this zoonotic disease need to be carried out.
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Gueglio, B., de Gentile, L., Nguyen, J.M. et al. Epidemiologic approach to human toxocariasis in western France. Parasitol Res 80, 531–536 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00932703
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00932703