Toxocaracanis(anascarid)isaparasiticnematode(roundworm)commonlyfoundintheintestineofdogs.Humansareparatenichostswhobecomeinfectedbyingestinginfectiveeggsincontaminatedsoil.Afteringestion,theeggsyieldlarvaethatpenetratetheintestinalwallandarecarriedbythecirculationtoawidevarietyoftissues(liver,heart,lungs,brain,muscle,eyes).Whilethelarvaedonotundergoanyfurtherdevelopmentinthesesites,theycancauseseverallocalreactionsthatarethebasisoftoxocariasis.Inmostcases,Toxocarainfectionsarenotserious,andmanypeople,especiallyadultsinfectedbyasmallnumberoflarvae(immatureworms),maynotnoticeanysymptoms.Themostseverecasesarerare,butaremorelikelytooccurinyoungchildren,whooftenplayindirt,oreatdirtcontaminatedbydogstool.ThetwomainclinicalpresentationsoftoxocariasisareOcularLarvaMigrans(OLM),aneyediseasethatcancauseblindness(eachyearmorethan700peopleinfectedwithToxocaraexperiencepermanentpartiallossofvision),andVisceralLarvaMigrans(VLM),adiseasethatcausesswellingofancillarybody’sorgansorcentralnervoussystem.Thepresenceofparasiteresp.infectionmaybeidentifiedby

• Microscopy
• SEROlogy:DetectionofantibodiesbyELISA