An ELISA Serodiagnostic survey of Toxacara canis in normal and hospitalized eye patients from Baghdad, Iraq

摘要

ELISA human IgG tests for T. canis were done on 92 serum samples from 22 healthy and 70 hospitalized patients with eye conditions, randomly, in Baghdad city. In healthy people, 4 were positive to T canis and in 70 hospital patients, 15 were positive,accounting for prevalences of 18.2 and 21.4%, respectively. We find that children aged 4-15 year had a high rate of T canis compared with young 16-27, adult 28-49 or old 50+ years. Three children suffered from squint, 7 adults blurring of vision or unilateral disorder and in 50+ year olds, 7 had various eye abnormalities. We found that of 52 male serum samples, 12 (23.07%) and of 40 female samples, 7 (17.5%) were positive to T canis. There were no statistically significant differences between male andfemale or ages for any ELISA toxocariasis result. The apparent high sero-prevalence of human T. canis in Baghdad may be due to a large, untreated, unconstrained dog population; with low standards of hygiene and frequent geophagic behaviour among children which combine to ensure ingestion of infective eggs of T canis.