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Acta Trop. 2012 Dec;124(3):171-8. doi: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2012.08.003. Epub 2012 Aug 14.
Therapeutic battle against larval toxocariasis: are we still far
behind?
Othman AA.
Source
Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Egypt.
[email protected]
Abstract
Toxocariasis is a widespread zoonotic helminthic disease. Human infection is acquired by
ingestion of embryonated eggs of Toxocara which reach the environment via stools of dogs and
cats. In paratenic hosts, such as humans and mice, the hatched larvae migrate systematically in
the body and could reach critical sites such as the eye and the central nervous system. The
clinical expression of toxocariasis includes two main forms of varying intensity: visceral and
ocular, as well as several organ-specific clinical manifestations. The issue of treatment is a matter
of great controversy not only because of limited efficacy of anthelmintic drugs in terms of parasite
eradication, but also because of doubts about the benefits of therapy as most Toxocara infections
are self-limiting. Many animal studies were conducted employing different drugs and regimens,
yet the results were variable and inconsistent. On the other hand, experience in human therapy is
unfortunately limited due to paucity of clinical trials. Herein, the problems and pitfalls of treatment
of toxocariasis are addressed, and new trends in therapy are discussed.
Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
PMID:
22921951
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]