Toxocara canis IgG ELISA

Toxocara canis (an ascarid) is a parasitic nematode (roundworm) commonly found in the intestine of dogs. Humans are paratenic hosts who become infected by ingesting infective eggs in contaminated soil. After ingestion, the eggs yield larvae that penetrate the intestinal wall and are carried by the circulation to a wide variety of tissues (liver, heart, lungs, brain, muscle, eyes). While the larvae do not undergo any further development in these sites, they can cause several local reactions that are the basis of toxocariasis. In most cases, Toxocara infections are not serious, and many people, especially adults infected by a small number of larvae (immature worms), may not notice any symptoms. The most severe cases are rare, but are more likely to occur in young children, who often play in dirt, or eat dirt contaminated by dog stool. The two main clinical presentations of toxocariasis are Ocular Larva Migrans (OLM), an eye disease that can cause blindness (each year more than 700 people infected with Toxocara experience permanent partial loss of vision), and Visceral Larva Migrans (VLM), a disease that causes swelling of ancillary body’s organs or central nervous system. The presence of parasite resp. infection may be identified by

• Microscopy
• Serology: Detection of antibodies by ELISA