Cures for a Toxocariasis Eye Infection

A toxocariasis eye infection, also known as ocular larva migrans (OLM), is caused by a parasitic roundworm that invades the eye and can result in a permanent loss of vision in the affected eye, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This eye infection, a relatively rare condition, is usually treated with a combination of anti-parasitic medication and anti-inflammatory drugs, such as corticosteroids, according to the Human Infections Foundation website.

Causes and Symptoms

• Although you may fall victim to toxocariasis, it’s more likely to affect your children or those of your friends and neighbors. The infection is caused by a roundworm found in the intestinal tracts of both cats and dogs, known respectively as Toxocara cati and Toxocara canis. Children playing in a park or playground where pets have defecated can pick up parasitic eggs from the soil. Once ingested, the eggs hatch, and the larval form of the roundworm can migrate to various parts of the body, including the eye. The symptoms of OLM include inflammation and pruritis in the affected eye, according to FamilyPracticeNotebook.com. Failure to treat this infection promptly can result in a loss of vision. According to the CDC, more than 700 Americans each year suffer such a loss of vision because of OLM.

Diagnosis

• If you suspect that you or someone in your family has picked up this parasitic eye infection, it’s critical that you seek medical attention as quickly as possible. Prompt diagnosis and treatment can minimize the damage caused to the eye. Your doctor will examine the affected eye for signs of parasitic infection. If he suspects that you or a family member has picked up toxocariasis, in whatever form, he will order a blood test to be analyzed for the presence of specific antibodies that your immune system has dispatched to fight back against infections of Toxocara origin. A positive test for these antibodies will result in a definitive diagnosis of toxocariasis.

Treatment

• If you or a loved one is diagnosed with a toxocariasis eye infection, you will probably benefit from research done by a group of Austrian ophthalmologists and other doctors. That study, conducted by a team of doctors at Austria’s University of Vienna Medical School, found that a combination of albendazole, a systemic anti-parasitic medication, and systemic steroids successfully treated OLM in test subjects. The study, which was published in the June 2001 issue of the Journal of Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, focused on five patients, who between them had a total of seven infected eyes. Adult patients were given oral dosages of 800mg of albendazole twice daily, along with systemic steroids to reduce inflammation; children received two daily doses of 400mg.

  Patients were followed for an average observation period of 13.8 months. All reported significant improvements in vision in the affected eyes and no recurrence of symptoms during the observation period. Mean visual acuity for all patients at the beginning of the study was 20/40; final mean visual acuity was 20/20.