Data on prevalence and risk factors associated with Toxocara spp infection, atopy and asthma development in Northeast Brazilian school children.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Silva MB
PROVIDER: S-EPMC5037257 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Dec
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Data on prevalence and risk factors associated with <i>Toxocara</i> spp infection, atopy and asthma development in Northeast Brazilian school children.
Silva Márcia B MB Amor Ana L M AL Santos Leonardo N LN Galvão Alana A AA Oviedo V Aida Y AY Silva Eduardo S ES Barbosa Cynara Gomes CG Cooper Philip J PJ Figueiredo Camila A CA Ribeiro Rita de Cassia RC Alcântara-Neves Neuza Maria NM
Data in brief 20160917
In the present article, we provide shortly, data on risk factors for acquiring <i>Toxocara</i> spp. infection and investigate possible associations between this infection with atopy and asthma in school children of a small town and its semi-rural areas of Northeast Brazil. The data set are composed by demographic, social and home environment variables. The detection of anti-<i>Toxocara</i> spp. IgG and specific IgE to aeroallergens was determined by ELISA and ImmunocAP/Phadiatrope systems, respe ...[more]
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Project description:BackgroundToxocariasis is a worldwide helminthic zoonosis caused by infection with the larvae of the ascarid worms that comprise the Toxocara spp. Children are particularly prone to infection because they are exposed to the eggs in sandboxes and playgrounds contaminated with dog and cat feces. Certain behaviors, such as a geophagy habit, poor personal hygiene, a lack of parental supervision, close contact with young dogs, and ingestion of raw meat, as well as gender, age, and socioeconomic status, affect the prevalence of the disease. However, previous studies of the risk factors for toxocariasis have generally produced inconsistent results. An epidemiological cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the seroprevalence of IgG anti-Toxocara spp. antibodies and associated factors in schoolchildren from a region in the southeast of Brazil.Methodology/principal findingsA total of 252 schoolchildren aged 1 to 12 years (120 males and 132 females) were assessed. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay based on Toxocara canis larval excretory-secretory antigens was used to determine outcomes. A questionnaire was used to collect information on children, family, and home characteristics. Clinical and laboratory data completed the dataset investigated in this study. Seroprevalence was 15.5% (95%CI 11.5-19.8). Geophagy (aPR 2.38 [95%CI 1.36-4.18], p-value 0.029) and the habit of hand washing before meals (aPR 0.04 [95%CI 0.01-0.11], p-value ? 0.001) were factors associated with increased and decreased seroprevalence, respectively. The income factor and its related variables lost statistical significance after adjustment with a multiple Poisson regression model.Conclusions/significanceThe current study confirms that toxocariasis is a public health problem in the evaluated area; modifiable factors such as soil contact and personal hygiene appear to have a greater influence on the acquisition of infection than sociodemographic attributes, thus representing direct targets for disease prevention and control.
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Project description:BackgroundLimited data are available on prevalence and associated risk factors for atopy and allergic diseases from high-altitude urban settings in Latin America.ObjectiveTo estimate the prevalence of atopy, asthma, rhinitis, and eczema, and associations with relevant risk factors in preschool children in the Andean city of Cuenca.MethodsA cross-sectional study was undertaken using a representative sample of 535 children aged 3-5 years attending 30 nursery schools in the city of Cuenca, Ecuador. Data on allergic diseases and risk factors were collected by parental questionnaire. Atopy was measured by skin prick test (SPT) reactivity to a panel of relevant aeroallergens. Associations between risk factors and the prevalence of atopy and allergic diseases were estimated using multivariable logistic regression.ResultsAsthma symptoms were reported for 18% of children, rhinitis for 48%, and eczema for 28%, while SPT reactivity was present in 33%. Population fractions of asthma, rhinitis, and eczema attributable to SPT were 3.4%, 7.9%, and 2.9%, respectively. In multivariable models, an increased risk of asthma was observed among children with a maternal history of rhinitis (OR 1.85); rhinitis was significantly increased in children of high compared to low socioeconomic level (OR 2.09), among children with a maternal history of rhinitis (OR 2.29) or paternal history of eczema (OR 2.07), but reduced among children attending daycare (OR 0.64); eczema was associated with a paternal history of eczema (OR 3.73), and SPT was associated with having a dog inside the house (OR 1.67).ConclusionsA high prevalence of asthma, rhinitis, and eczema symptoms were observed among preschool children in a high-altitude Andean setting. Despite a high prevalence of atopy, only a small fraction of symptoms was associated with atopy. Parental history of allergic diseases was the most consistent risk factor for symptoms in preschool children.
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