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Comparable seropositivity for ascariasis and toxocariasis in tropical slum children
Insights
In Venezuelan children, infections from Ascaris lumbricoides and Toxocara canis are common, with Toxocara (toxocariasis) posing a significant, overlooked public health concern in tropical urban areas.
Area of Science:
- Tropical Medicine
- Parasitology
- Public Health
Background:
- Ascaris lumbricoides and Toxocara canis are common helminthic parasites.
- Toxocariasis is often overlooked as a public health issue, particularly in tropical regions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the seroprevalence of Ascaris lumbricoides and Toxocara canis infections in children from a slum area in Caracas, Venezuela.
- To define infection levels indicative of active parasitic disease.
Main Methods:
- Serological testing was performed on children aged 1-15 years.
- Prevalence rates were analyzed across different age groups.
Main Results:
- Approximately 10% of children aged 1-3 years were positive for either parasite.
- Seropositivity increased to about 30% in 4-6 year olds and remained stable for toxocariasis up to age 15.
- A peak seropositivity of 50% for Ascaris was observed in 7-9 year olds.
Conclusions:
- Toxocara infection is as common as Ascaris infection in this urban slum population.
- Toxocariasis represents a significant and underappreciated public health problem in tropical urban environments.
Abstract:
The seropositivities for infection by Ascaris lumbricoides and Toxocara canis were determined in children (1-15 years old) of a slum area of Caracas, Venezuela, and the levels that indicate the presence of active infection were defined. In children aged from 1 to 3 years, approximately 10% were positive for either parasite, and this figure increased to about 30% in 4- to 6-year-olds. For toxocariasis, the percentage of positivity remained at this level up to the age of 15 years. Whilst the positivity in children 10-15 years of age was comparable for Ascaris and Toxocara, a peak of positivity (50%) was found for Ascaris at 7-9 years of age. These results indicate that for these urban slum children, infection by Toxocara is essentially as common as that by Ascaris and, thus, that toxocariasis represents a potential public health problem in the tropical environment that is largely overlooked.