Toxocariasis

Introduction: Toxocara species is an intestinal nematode mainly affecting dogs and cats, which causes human infection when embryonated eggs excreted in dogs and cats faeces are ingested by eating raw or undercooked meat in this case from chicken barbecue) as well.• Case report:The patient was year old boy referring to the hospital complaining of unbearable asthma; examination was performed and bronchiectasis and mild bronchial asthma was diagnosed after the physical examination. In history it was discovered that he had contacted with animals such as dogs and cats as definitive hosts, and also consumed the raw flesh of chicken barbecue (as paratenic host of Toxocara species)The patient blood pressure was 120/80 mmHg, his heart rate was 73/min. Hematological findings were demonstrated mild eosinophilia (7.6%) and leukocytes: 9.21 ×103/μL with 60.8% neutrophils, 20.3% lymphocytes, 11.2% monocytes. RBC count was normal (5×106 /μL), platelet count was normal (2.7× 105 /μL) and also IgE level was 837 UI/ml. Eventually, the immunological test for toxocariasis was performed and the result was positive for anti-Toxocara antibodies (high IgE ).In toxocariasis, manifestation depends on the organs which larvae migrated to. In this case lung involvement indicates that the resident organ for migratory larvae was lung, that consequently led to asthma.• Conclusion:Human toxocariasis may give rise to large array of clinical symptoms, including apparent manifestations of allergy such as asthma, urticarial angioedema, and dermatitis. Results mostly confirm that the role of Toxocara infection in causing clinical manifestations of apparent allergy is often overlooked. This case report revealed that people infected with Toxocara species are more likely to have asthma compared to non-infected people. More studies are needed to further investigate the impact of toxocariasis on the onset or development of asthma.

Toxocariasis Keywords:

Toxocariasis , asthma , Eosinophilia , Allergy