Zoonotic Relevance of Toxocara spp. in North Macedonia: Retrospective Veterinary Findings and a Clinically…

Animal / preclinicalPathogens (Basel, Switzerland)· Jun 2026

Zoonotic Relevance of Toxocara spp. in North Macedonia: Retrospective Veterinary Findings and a Clinically Confirmed Case of Human Ocular Toxocariasis.

Ana Marija Radevska, Bojana Chapkunovska, Katerina Spasovska … Aleksandar Cvetkovikj

OphthalmologyAnimal / preclinicalQ1IF 3.9

Toxocara eggs found in 3% of dog and cat stool samples in North Macedonia.

Zoonotic Relevance of Toxocara spp. in North Macedonia: Retrospective Veterinary Findings and a Clinically Confirmed Case of Human Ocular Toxocariasis.

Ana Marija Radevska … Aleksandar Cvetkovikj

Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · Jun 2026

Background

Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati are zoonotic nematodes of dogs and cats that maintain a human infection risk through environmental contamination with highly resistant eggs.

Methods

This retrospective assessment combined coprological data from dogs and cats with a complementary clinical description of a human case of ocular toxocariasis.

n = 465 samples

Results

worm eggs were found in a small share of stool samples tested

Dogs

3%

Cats

3.2%

More results

The human clinical component involved unilateral visual loss, strabismus, and posterior segment inflammatory changes.

“

Conclusion · 1 of 2

Dogs and cats in North Macedonia showed sporadic Toxocara spp. egg shedding, supporting ongoing zoonotic exposure potential.

Conclusion · 2 of 2

The clinically confirmed ocular toxocariasis case complements the animal data and underscores the need for improved awareness among clinicians and veterinarians, as well as strengthened preventive measures aimed at reducing environmental contamination and zoonotic exposure.

Zoonotic Relevance of Toxocara spp. in North Macedonia: Retrospective Veterinary Findings and a Clinically Confirmed Case of Human Ocular Toxocariasis.

Zoonotic Relevance of Toxocara spp. in North Macedonia: Retrospective Veterinary Findings and a Clinically Confirmed Case of Human Ocular Toxocariasis.

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