Seropositivity for T. canis was detected in 21 (23.3%) of 90 patients and one subject (2.2%) of 45 healthy controls with a statistically significant difference (p = 0.0017). When the seropositive and seronegative schizophrenic patients were compared with respect to sex, residence, owning dogs /cats, history of geophagia, there were no differences between the two groups (all, p >0.05). In contrast, when the two groups were compared with respect to raw food intake, and personal hygiene, the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Eosinophilia in peripheral blood was detected in 61.9% of seropositive schizophrenic patients and in 24.6% of seronegative schizophrenic patients with a statistically significant difference (p = 0.0015). Of 21 schizophrenic patients with positive serology, 47.6% had at least one intestinal parasite comparing to 20.3% in patients with negative serology (p = 0.0131).
Key words: Toxocara, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, schizophrenia
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