Risk Factors and Prevalence of Toxocariasis in Healthy Adults in South Khorasan Province, Eastern Iran

Background: Toxocariasis is a common zoonotic helminthic disease with worldwide distribution. Seroepidemiological data related to human toxocariasis and its risk factors are limited in the east of Iran. Objectives: The current study evaluated the seroprevalence of toxocariasis and associated risk factors in clinically healthy individuals aged 18 years or older in eastern Iran. Methods: We took 450 samples from clinically healthy individuals referred to medical laboratories for health screening between March and May 2022 in Birjand, Iran. The seroprevalence of IgG antibody against Toxocara was performed using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit (IBL, Germany). Logistic regression was used to analyze the association between toxocariasis and potential risk factors by SPSS 21.0 software. A probability P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The sample included 210 (56.6%) men, and 240 women (53.3%) who were aged 18 to 81 years (mean 35 ± 13 years). The Toxocara ELISA was positive in 36 (8%) individuals. The statistical analysis showed that washing hands before eating (odds ratio (OR) = 0.1, 95% CI: 0.05 - 0.3, P < 0.0001), contact with cats and dogs (OR = 0.1, 95% CI: 0.05 - 0.3, P < 0.00001), and raw meat consumption (OR = 4.8, 95% CI: 2.2 - 11.4), P < 0.0004) were risk factors associated with Toxocara infection. Conclusions: The relatively low seroprevalence of Toxocara infection in our study can be caused by environmental and socio-cultural conditions and moderate to high hygiene standards in Birjand. It is suggested that more extensive studies be conducted with larger sample sizes in at-risk groups in this area.