Case Report: Ocular Toxocariasis: A Report of Three Cases from the Mississippi Delta

Kengo Inagaki Division of Infectious Diseases, Children’s Hospital, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi;

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Brian Kirmse Division of Genetics, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi;

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Richard S. Bradbury Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia;

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Ramana S. Moorthy Department of Ophthalmology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana;

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Irene Arguello Division of Infectious Diseases, Children’s Hospital, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi;

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Charles D. McGuffey Department of Transitional Medicine, Methodist University Hospital, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee;

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Brian Tieu Department of Ophthalmology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi

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Charlotte V. Hobbs Division of Infectious Diseases, Children’s Hospital, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi;

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.18-0766
Volume/Issue:
Volume 100: Issue 5
Page(s):
1223–1226
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Ocular toxocariasis can be vision threatening, and is commonly reported from tropical or subtropical regions. Knowledge of clinical manifestations from the United States, particularly in underserved areas such as the American South, is lacking. We report three cases of ocular toxocariasis in individuals from the Mississippi Delta, a rural community with prevalent poverty. Visual acuity was severely affected in two of the three cases. Increased awareness of ocular toxocariasis, which may have under-recognized frequency, will contribute to prompt diagnosis and treatment, which will ultimately improve patient health in the region.

Author Notes

Address correspondence to Charlotte V. Hobbs, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Pediatrics and Department of Microbiology, Batson Children’s Hospital, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State St., Jackson, MS 39202. E-mail: chobbs@umc.edu

Disclaimer: The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

Disclosure: R. S. B. has a patent (PCT/US2018/052469: Removing Interfering Host Nucleic Acids for Molecular Parasite Detection) issued to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Authors’ addresses: Kengo Inagaki and Irene Arguello, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Pediatrics, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, E-mails: kinagaki@umc.edu and iarguello@umc.edu. Brian Kirmse, Division of Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, E-mail: bkirmse@umc.edu. Richard S. Bradbury, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, and School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, Australia, E-mail: isl5@cdc.gov. Ramana S. Moorthy, Department of Ophthalmology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, E-mail: rsmoorthy46032@yahoo.com. Charles D. McGuffey, Department of Transitional Medicine, Methodist University Hospital, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, E-mail: cmcguffe@uthsc.edu. Brian Tieu, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, E-mail: btieu@umc.edu. Charlotte V. Hobbs, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Pediatrics and Department of Microbiology, Batson Children’s Hospital, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, E-mail: chobbs@umc.edu.

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Copyright:
© The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 2019
Received:
20 Sep 2018
|
Accepted:
29 Nov 2018
|
Published Online:
11 Mar 2019
Cover The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Print ISSN:
0002-9637
Online ISSN:
1476-1645
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