The rare condition most often occurs in children; causes permanent vision loss in most
THURSDAY, June 9 (HealthDay News) -- Ocular toxocariasis (OT) continues to occur in the United States, and it frequently leads to permanent vision loss that primarily affects children, according a report in the June 10 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
The CDC surveyed uveitis, retinal, and pediatric ophthalmology specialists across the United States to collect epidemiologic, demographic, and clinical information on patients with OT. A total of 68 patients were newly diagnosed with OT between September 2009 and September 2010.
Among the 44 patients for whom demographic information was available, the data revealed that the median patient age was 8.5 years and that 25 patients lived in the South upon diagnosis. Among 30 patients with reported clinical data, the investigators found that vision loss was the most common symptom, which was reported by 83 percent of patients, with 68 percent suffering permanent vision loss.
"Good hygiene practices, timely disposal of pet feces, and routine deworming of pets are strategies necessary to reduce OT in humans," the authors write.
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