author(s)
KT Kavitha, C Sreekumar, BR Latha, A Mangala Gowri, B Nagarajan, P Azhahianambi and N Pazhanivel

abstract
Toxocariasis is an important parasitic zoonosis caused by the infective larvae of Toxocara canis. In the present study, the migration and pathological effects of T. canis larvae were evaluated after experimental infection of Balb/c mice with two doses of embryonated eggs. The mice were divided into 3 groups; Group I: infected with 100 doses; Group II: infected with 1000 doses; Group III: control uninfected mice. The mice were sacrificed at7, 14, 21 and 28 days post infection for larval recovery and histopathology studies. The results showed that the maximum numbers of larvae were recovered from liver and lungs on 7 dpi and from the brain and muscle on 28 dpi. No larvae were found in kidneys and eyes of all the infected mice throughout the study. Histopathological examination revealed congestion, haemorrhage and inflammatory infiltrate in the lungs, liver and kidneys in both the infected groups between 7 and 28 dpi. The inflammatory cells present in all the infected tissues studied were lymphocytes, eosinophils and macrophages. In the brain, no inflammatory reaction was ob­served around the migrating larvae. Granulomas were seen around trapped larvaein the lung and liver but in the brain, only sections of larvae were observed on 28 dpi. In this study murine model were used which mimics the biology of human infection, might be relevant to a better understanding of human toxocariasis for future diagnostic and therapeutic studies.