Seroprevalence of Toxocara infection in school children in Shiraz, Southern Iran

The presence of anti-Toxocara antibodies in the sera of school children of Shiraz, southern Iran, was studied by means of an indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay with excretory/secretory antigen of infective stage larva. A total of 519 individuals of both sexes aged 6-13 years were analysed. The total prevalence was 25.6 per cent. A higher rate of infection was observed in urban (30.15 per cent) than rural (20.2 per cent) residents. Most potential risk factors were not related to Toxocara prevalence and no differences existed between socioeconomic classes except for parental education. Neither age or sex was found to be significantly associated with positive serology.