Cat and dog lovers, please take note! Children really can’t afford to get toxocara disease!

Recently, the ocular surface and cornea specialist clinic of Wuhan University Aier Eye Hospital (Wuhan Aier Eye Hospital) received a special patient. Tiantian (pseudonym), a 7-year-old girl, began to suffer from monocular vision loss and itching in many parts of her body since January this year. She went to many hospitals but could not find the cause of her illness.

The road to medical treatment is full of twists and turns

According to Tiantian's mother, since January 2021, the child's right eye began to turn red and her vision gradually declined. She took her to a nearby hospital for treatment as soon as possible, and the symptoms were controlled after eye drops. However, the good times did not last long. One month later, the disease relapsed and was more serious than the first time. After going to many hospitals, they could not find the cause. This time, they went directly to the ocular surface and cornea specialist of the Aier Eye Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University (Wuhan Aier Eye Hospital) - Director Wu Shangcao.

It's all caused by Toxocara

After examination, Director Wu Shangcao found that Tiantian's right eye had a visual range of 0.2. After intraocular pressure and eye B-ultrasound examinations, it was found that Tiantian's intraocular pressure was elevated, vitreous opacities were severe, and there were obvious signs of uveal inflammation. Combining the results of the medical history and physical examination, it was initially determined to be a parasitic infection of the eye, and it was recommended to do an intraocular fluid test to clarify the cause. After an etiological examination, the cause of the child's decreased vision was finally found, which turned out to be an infection with Toxocara. After a period of deworming and anti-inflammatory and intraocular pressure-lowering treatment, Tiantian's current vision has risen to 0.7, without any discomfort, and even the itching has completely healed.

What is ocular toxocariasis

It is a parasitic disease in which the larvae of Toxocara in dogs and cats invade the tissues inside the eye, causing an eye infection. It is also a zoonosis.

The disease mainly occurs in children, especially those under 15 years old. Most patients develop the disease in one eye, and the symptoms are mostly decreased vision, eye pain, photophobia, strabismus, etc. Systemic manifestations include fever, fatigue, weight loss, cough, wheezing, hepatomegaly, itching of the trunk and lower limbs, rash and nodules, etc. Some patients may show manifestations of central nervous system involvement, such as encephalitis, brain eosinophilic granuloma, epilepsy, etc. The infection caused by this disease clinically manifests from completely asymptomatic infection to severe infection. The mortality rate in severe infection is as high as 5%, which has attracted more and more attention from the medical community. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen health education and take preventive measures.

Cat and dog lovers should pay attention

Living in the same environment, children are relatively susceptible to canine toxocariasis, while adults are rarely infected. Toxocara can directly destroy eye structures such as the lens, vitreous body, retina, and choroid, and can also induce inflammation, leading to amblyopia. In severe cases, it can cause blindness or even atrophy of the eyeball, degeneration of the black eyeball, and so on. Early infection can restore vision through active deworming and anti-inflammatory treatment. If it causes retinal detachment, surgery is required to save vision. However, once the retina is severely damaged, it is difficult to restore vision. The prognosis mainly depends on the patient's age, the location of the lesion, the severity of the lesion, the presence or absence of complications, etc.

How to prevent toxocariasis? There may be roundworm eggs in the sand pits and soil in public places. The important issue for toxocariasis is prevention, and personal hygiene is even more critical. People who keep cats and dogs should be more careful not to get too close to them. Domestic animals should be quarantined in a timely manner and treated when necessary. It's fun to pet your pet, but don't forget to wash your hands!