Toxocara – Serology

*Uncontrolled print copy. Valid only on day of print: 28 July 2021.

Specimen Collection and Handling

Specimen Requirements

Test Requested	Required Requisition(s)	Specimen Type	Minimum Volume	Collection Kit
Toxocariasis, Visceral, or Ocular Larva migrans, or Toxocara canis, or Toxocara cati, or Toxocara serology	General Test Requisition	Whole blood or serum	5.0 ml whole blood or 1.0 ml serum	Vacutainer tubes (SST)

Submission and Collection Notes

Provide symptoms, onset date, and other pertinent clinical information on the General Test Requisition Form if diagnostic testing is required.

Limitations

Haemolysed, icteric, lipemic or microbially contaminated sera or plasma are not recommended for testing.

Preparation Prior to Transport

Label the specimen container with the patient’s full name, date of collection and one other unique identifier such as the patient’s date of birth or Health Card Number. Failure to provide this information may result in rejection or testing delay.

Special Instructions

Centrifuge if using SST. Place specimen in biohazard bag and seal.

Requisitions and Kit Ordering

Test Frequency and Turnaround Time (TAT)

Toxocara serology testing is performed once per week.

Turnaround time is up to 10 days from receipt by PHO laboratory.

Reporting

Results are reported to the ordering physician or health care provider as indicated on the requisition.

Test Methods

Toxocara IgG serology testing is performed by Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA) methodology.

Interpretation

Sample OD 0.3-1.0 May reflect past infection

Sample OD >1.0 Correlated to high titre toxocariasis

Patients with early primary infections may exhibit a low or undetectable IgG response and therefore convalescent sample is recommended.