What are the symptoms of toxocariasis?
There are two major forms of toxocariasis: 1) Ocular larva migrans (OLM): Toxocara infections can cause OLM, an eye disease that can cause blindness. OLM occurs when a microscopic worm enters the eye; it may cause inflammation and formation of a scar on the retina. Each year more than 700 people infected with Toxocara experience permanent partial loss of vision. 2) Visceral larva migrans (VLM): Heavier, or repeated Toxocara infections, while rare, can cause VLM, a disease that causes swelling of the bodys organs or central nervous system. Symptoms of VLM, which are caused by the movement of the worms through the body, include fever, coughing, asthma, or pneumonia.
