Keys to Unlock the Enigma of Ocular Toxocariasis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

ABSTRACT

Purpose

Ocular toxocariasis (OT) is a zoonotic infection caused by larval stages of Toxocara canis and T. cati. The current review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the global prevalence of OT.

Methods

Five English (PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Google Scholar) databases were explored and 101 articles met the inclusion criteria.

Results

The pooled prevalence (95% confidence interval) of OT was higher in immunological studies (9%. 6–12%) than in studies that applied ophthalmic examination (1%. 1–2%). The lower middle-income level countries had the highest prevalence (6%. 2–12%) as well as the African region (10%. 7–13%). The highest infection rate (4%. 2–7%) was detected in the 1–25 mean age group.

Conclusion

Regular anthelminthic treatment of cats and dogs, and removal of animal feces from public places must be considered.

KEYWORDS:

• Toxocariasis
• ocular larva migrans
• public health
• humans
• zoonoses

Acknowledgment

The authors appreciate Professor Celia Holland for her support with the current systematic review and meta-analysis.

Disclosure statement

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed on the publisher’s website.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Metabolic Diseases Research Center; Research Institute for Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases; Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran under the contract no. IR.QUMS.Rec.1399.201.