Nervous System- Infection & Inflammation I
Question No. 24. The Answer is: (B) Toxocara canis.
Discussion: Toxocara are common parasites among cats and dogs. While Toxocara canis infects dogs, Toxocara cati is a very similar species that parasitizes cats. Human is infected by ingesting the ova which are most commonly found in contaminated soil. Hatching of the eggs will generate larvae that pass through the intestinal wall and migrate to various tissues and this migration will generate visceral larva migrans. Gnathostoma species, Angiostrongulus cantonensis, and Baylisascaris procyonis are other parasites that can generate visceral larval migrans. The liver and the lung are most affected but the brain and the eye can also be involved.