Toxocariasis, or roundworm infection, is caused by the parasite Toxocara. The infection spreads from animals to humans through the T. canisparasite found in the intestines of dogs and the T. cati parasite found in the intestines of cats. Many people with toxocariasis do not show any symptoms; when symptoms do present, they can include vision loss and eye inflammation (for ocular toxocariasis) and fever, fatigue, coughing and wheezing, or abdominal pain (for visceral toxocariasis).

The infection spreads through the fecal-oral route, when feces infected with Toxocara eggs are accidentally ingested; more rarely, people can also become infected by consuming undercooked meat containing Toxocara larvae.

Read more about how Toxocara is transmitted, diagnosed, and treated on our Articles page.

The IVD Toxocara Serum Antibody Detection Microwell ELISA test kit provides accurate, reliable detection of Toxocara antibodies in human serum samples. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for serum samples was developed as a fast, precise way to detect and diagnose Toxocara infection. ELISAs have been proven to be accurate diagnostic tools; in addition, they are easy to perform and require no specialized training.

The IVD Toxocara Serum Antigen Detection Microwell ELISA test is performed in four steps (three incubation periods and a stop solution):

  • The first incubation: In this step, antigen attached to the kit microwells capture Toxocara-specific antibodies present in the serum sample; a washing step removes any unbound samples.
  • The second incubation: This step adds Protein A antibody conjugated to horseradish peroxidase, which attaches to any antibodies bound to the microwells; a washing step removes any unbound conjugate.
  • The third incubation: This step adds a chromogen, which turns blue in the presence of the enzyme complex and peroxide.
  • The addition of a stop solution: This ends the chemical reaction and turns the blue to yellow in the presence of Toxocara antibodies. If no antibody is captured, or if there is an insufficient antibody level, the solution will remain colorless.

Each test kit contains 96 wells and has a shelf life of up to 12 months. Test kits should be stored between 2-8 ˚C. Please contact us for pricing and availability.