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

Authors

  • Francisco ANARUMA FILHO Associação Cultural e Educational de Garça
  • Pedro Paulo CHIEFFI Santa Casa de São Paulo; Faculdade de Ciências Médicas
  • Carlos Roberto Silveira CORREA UNICAMP; Faculdade de Medicina; Departmento de Medicina Preventiva e Social
  • Eide Dias CAMARGO Instituto Adolfo Lutz
  • Edilene P. Real da SILVEIRA Instituto Adolfo Lutz
  • Joana José Brandão ARANHA Instituto Adolfo Lutz
  • Manoel Carlos S. Almeida RIBEIRO Santa Casa de São Paulo; Faculdade de Ciências Médicas

Keywords:

Human toxocariasis, Toxocara canis, Frequency of infection, Risk factors, Campinas (SP)

Abstract

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.

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Published

2002-12-01

Issue

Section

Parasitology

How to Cite

ANARUMA FILHO, F., CHIEFFI, P. P., CORREA, C. R. S., CAMARGO, E. D., SILVEIRA, E. P. R. da, ARANHA, J. J. B., & RIBEIRO, M. C. S. A. (2002). Human toxocariasis: a seroepidemiological survey in the municipality of Campinas (SP), Brazil . Revista Do Instituto De Medicina Tropical De São Paulo, 44(6), 303-307. https://revistas.usp.br/rimtsp/article/view/30650