A seroepidemiological study of toxocariasis and risk factors for infection in children in Sri Lanka.

A seroepidemiology study using TES-ELISA was carried out in 1,020 children aged 1-12 years in the Hindagala Community Health Project, Sri Lanka. Toxocariasis seroprevalence was 43% with 16.6% showing high antibody levels.

Ecchymoses: an unusual manifestation of toxocariasis in children.

Objective: To investigate the aetiology of multiple ecchymoses associated with eosinophilia.

Setting: Professorial Paediatric Unit (PPU) at Lady Ridgeway Hospital (LRH) for children, Colombo.

Design: Prospective study from July 1998 to April 2000.

Histopathological diagnosis of subcutaneous Dirofilaria repens infection in humans.

The host tissue response in humans, based on a study of biopsies of 14 subcutaneous nodules caused by Dirofilaria repens is described. The response was characterized by accumulation of eosinophilic material or eosinophilic pus adjacent to the parasite with surrounding granulomatous inflammation associated with extensive eosinophil infiltration of the surrounding tissue. Unlike with fungal lesions, fat necrosis was conspicuously absent.