CLINICO-SEROEPIDEMIOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF TOXOCARIASIS IN EGYPTIAN EPILEPTIC CHILDREN

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine

2 Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

Toxocariasis is one of the commonest zoonosis parasites worldwide, particularly in sheep-raising
countries. Epilepsy is an important health problem in developing countries. The study assessed the
seropositivity of toxocariasis in Egyptian idiopathic epileptic children. A case-control study was conducted
on 125 children (1-18 years) with idiopathic epilepsy (patients) and 72 non-epileptic normal
children (controls). All children underwent history taking, clinical examination, lab investigations,
ELISA, and WB seropositivity to detect toxocariasis.
The results showed no significant difference in age, sex, and socioeconomic level, but a significant
difference was in residence and pet dogs between patients and controls (p < 0.05). Also, the Toxocara
infection (ELISA) among patients was 41.6% versus 23.6% among controls and (Immunoblotting)
17.6% versus 5.5% respectively. There was an association between toxocariasis and epilepsy, with
significant difference between patients and controls (P<0.05). Seropositivity was more in epileptic
with generalized than partial seizures (p=0.06). As risk factors, residence and eating raw/undercooked
meat showed significant difference and pet dogs and soil contact showed a highly significant difference
in toxocariasis seropositive patients (P<0.05).

Keywords

Journal of the Egyptian Society of Parasitology
Volume 51, Issue 1
April 2021
Pages 107-112

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