Human toxocariasis: a report of nine cases

Human toxocariasis is caused by infection with the larval stage of nematode parasites of dogs and cats, Toxocara canis or Toxocara cati. These helminths are not able to complete their life cycle in undefinitive hosts and so undergo aberrant migrations in the tissues causing a wide spectrum of signs and symptoms. Eosinophilia is often severe and sometimes represents the only sign of infection, except in ocular and neurological forms.

We describe the clinical features of nine children affected by toxocariasis admitted to our Infectious Diseases department from 2004 to 2006.

Fever and hepatomegaly were the most common clinical findings. In two cases eosinophilia was not present. Diagnosis was performed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay employing excretory-secretory antigens of Toxocara. canis larvae. All patients were successfully treated with oral albendazole with no side effects.

Toxocariasis should be considered in differential diagnosis of eosinophilia and in patients with seizures of uncertain origin, isolated hepatomegaly and splenomegaly, bronchospasms or skin rash.