Freqüência de anticorpos anti- Toxocara sp. em amostras de soro de crianças, atendidas no Hospital de Clínicas da Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, HC-UFU Uberlândia - Minas Gerais

Abstract

Toxocara canis and T. cati are nematode parasites of cats and dogs, respectively. In humans, because of accidental ingestion of larvae eggs, they cause Toxocariasis. Due to the lack of studies on the frequency of anti-r canis antibodies in the city of Uberlândia, blood serum of 242 girls and boys aged one to fifteen were collected to verify the presence of anti-r. canis antibodies by the ELISA method. The participants of the study were attended at the Hospital de Clínicas da Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (HC-UFU) and referred to the Laboratory of Clinicai Analysis at the same university aforementioned, for blood collection. All data were registered, and the information on the environment and behavior of the patients was obtained through interviews with the parents or legal guardians, using an investigative questionnaire. To obtain data on clinicai symptoms, 187 medicai records form medicai files of the hospital, HC-UFU, were analyzed. The presence of cats and dogs and the place of contact were variables which revealed to be significantly associated (p < 0,05) with positive serology. In relation to the place of contact, schools showed to be the greatest risk factor for infection. The clinicai variable, respiratory problem, also revealed positive statistical correlation serology for T. canis, inferring that this disturbance, which showed to be specific, may be related to infection. All other tested variables such as sex, age, headaches, abdominal pain, convulsive crises, anemia and eosinophilia, were not signifícantly associated with the risk for toxocariasis. The frequency of antibodies observed suggests that the investigated individuais had previous contact with the helminth. A large variation of the serological titles was observed and the demographic, environmental and clinicai factors are of great importance in Toxocariasis infection.