How innocent is Toxocara?
Van Dongen, P.A.; Buijs, J.; van Gemund, J.J.; van den Bergh, J.P.; Bozon, I.J.
Nederlands Tijdschrift Voor Geneeskunde 133(36): 1789-1791
1989
ISSN/ISBN: 0028-2162 PMID: 2812077 Document Number: 329925
We have investigated 234 children (3-6 years of age) in The Hague, The Netherlands, for the presence of antibodies against Toxocara. Of these children 26 (11.1%) were seropositive to Toxocara. Cross-reactions with antibodies against Ascaris could be excluded. Of the seropositive children 31% had asthma or bronchitis, while this percentage was only 12% for the seronegative children. This might indicate that toxocariasis causes asthma or bronchitis in some children. If further investigations corroborate this hypothesis, one has to conclude that preventing human toxocariasis contributed to prevent a number of cases of asthma and bronchitis.