ABSTRACT
Experimental inoculations of approximately 100,000 infective Toxocara cati larval eggs were done in twelve pigs. The T. cati eggs used for inoculation were collected from cat's feces. Another group of three pigs served as an uninfected control. Groups of infected pigs were euthanized at seven, 14, 21, and 28 days post-inoculation (dpi). Tissue samples were taken for digestion and histopathology changes in early phase. The number of larvae recovered from the lungs peaked at seven and 14 dpi and were also present at 21, and 28 dpi. Larvae of T. cati were present in the lymph nodes of the small and large intestine at seven, 14, and 28 dpi and at seven, 14, 21, and 28 dpi respectively. In other studied tissues, no larvae or less than one larva per gram was detected. The pathological response observed in the liver and lungs at seven and 14 dpi, showed white spots on the liver surface and areas of consolidation were observed in the lungs. The lungs showed an inflammatory reaction with larvae in center at 28 dpi. In the liver we observed periportal and perilobular hepatitis. The lymph nodes of the intestines displayed eosinophil lymphadenitis with reactive centers containing parasitic forms in some of them. The granulomatous reaction was not observed in any tissues. The role of the other examined tissues had less significance. The relevance of this parasite as an etiological agent that leads to disease in paratenic hosts is evident.
Se realizó la infección experimental de doce cerdos con aproximadamente 100.000 huevos infectivos de Toxocara cati. Los huevos de T. cati utilizados en la inoculación fueron recolectados de heces felinas. Otro grupo de tres cerdos no infectados se utilizó como control. Grupos de cerdos infectados se eutanaciaron a los 7,14,21 y 28 días posinoculación (pi). Se tomaron muestras de tejidos para digestión y evaluación de cambios histopatológicos en la etapa temprana de la infección. El número de larvas recuperadas de los pulmones se incrementó en los días 7 y 14 pi, recuperándose también los días 21 y 28 pi. Se encontraron larvas de T. cati en los linfonódulos del intestino delgado y grueso los días 7,14 y 28 pi y los días 7,14,21 y 28 pi respectivamente. En los restantes tejidos estudiados o no se recuperaron larvas o los valores fueron menores a una larva por gramo de tejido. La respuesta patológica observada en el hígado y los pulmones a los 7 y 14 días posinoculación, mostró en la superficie del hígado manchas blancas y en los pulmones áreas de consolidación. Los pulmones presentaron una reacción inflamatoria con presencia de larva en el centro en el día 28 pi. En el hígado se observó una hepatitis periportal y perilobular. Los linfonódulos del intestino presentaron una linfoadenitis eosinofílica con un centro reactivo conteniendo formas parasitarias en algunos de ello. En ninguno de los tejidos se observó la típica reacción granulomatosa. El rol de los restantes tejidos examinados fue de menor significancia. Queda evidenciada la importancia de éste parasito como un agente etiológico que desarrolla la enfermedad en hospederos paraténicos.
Subject(s)
Animals , Cats , Female , Male , Toxocara/growth & development , Toxocariasis/parasitology , Disease Models, Animal , Swine , Time Factors , Toxocara/physiology , Toxocariasis/pathologyABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To investigate the seroprevalence of toxocariasis in patients diagnosed as schizophrenia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ninety-eight schizophrenic patients hospitalized at The Elazig Psychiatric Hospital were included in the study. Anti-Toxocara IgG and/or IgM antibodies were determined by using commercial Toxocara canis IgG and/or IgM ELISA kit. RESULTS: Seropositivity for T. canis was detected in 45 (45.9%) of 98 patients and 2 (2.0%) of 100 control subjects the difference was statistically significant (p 0.05). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the schizophrenic state seems to present a high risk for Toxocara infection in Turkey.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Animals , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Antibodies, Helminth/blood , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Immunoglobulin G/blood , Immunoglobulin M/blood , Schizophrenia/blood , Seroepidemiologic Studies , Toxocara/growth & development , Toxocariasis/blood , Turkey/epidemiologyABSTRACT
A method for hatching second-stage larvae of Toxocara cati is described. Whole adult worms are processed by centrifugation in the presence of hypochlorite which allows the grinding step to be eliminated. The technique is more rapid and a high yield is obtained.