Human and dogs Toxocara canis infection in a poor neighborhood in Bogota

Prevalence of Toxocara canis antibodies was studied in a poor community of Bogotá, Colombia. Two-hundred-seven patients, from both sexes and all age groups, were studied. Positive ELISA titers were found in 47.5% of the population, a high prevalence compared with reports from developed countries. T. canis ova were positive in 43.6% of fecal samples from dog puppies. An endemic pattern of the disease is described: socioeconomic status, weather, pollution, poor hygiene and a significant population of infected dogs. Neither the physical examination nor ELISA titers could detect any case of T. canis disease.