Toxocara infection: seroprevalence and associated risk factors among primary school children in central China.

Toxocariasis is a zoonotic disease that poses a threat to public health worldwide. In the present study, we investigated the seroprevalence of Toxocara infection among primary school children in Henan province, central China, which was previously unknown. Sera from 2451 primary school children were collected from September 2015 to October 2018, and evaluated for anti-Toxocara antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The overall seroprevalence of Toxocara infection was 5.14% (126/2451). The main risk factors related to Toxocara infection identified in this study were the age of children, residence area of children, contact with cats or dogs, and exposure to soil. Hand washing before eating was considered to be a protective factor. These findings demonstrate that Toxocara infection is relatively common among primary school children in Henan province.