Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Parasitology 1735-7020 10 3 2015 10 17 482 489 EN Chung-Jung FU Graduate Institute of Biomedical Electronics and Bioinformatics, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan AND Graduate Institute of Biomedical Electronics and Bioinformatics, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan Cheng-Yan KAO Graduate Institute of Biomedical Electronics and Bioinformatics, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan Yueh-Lun LEE Dept. of Microbiology and Immunology,School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan Chien-Wei LIAO Dept. of Molecular Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan Po-Ching CHEN Dept. of Molecular Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan Ting-Wu CHUANG Dept. of Molecular Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan Ying-Chin WANG Dept. of Molecular Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan Chia-Mei CHOU Dept. of Molecular Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan Ying-Chie HUANG Dept. of Molecular Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan Toshio NAITO Dept. of General Medicine,Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan AND Dept. of Infection Control Science, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan Chia-Kwung FAN Dept. of Molecular Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan 2015 10 14 2015 10 14 Background: Infection by Toxocara spp. is known to be significantly associated with partial epilepsy. It has become popular for people to raise dogs/cats as pets and consume roasted meat/viscera, and the status of Toxocara spp. infection, epi­lepsy awareness, and associated risk factors among the general population are cur­rently unknown in Taiwan. Methods: A seroepidemiological investigation among 203 college students (CSs), consisting of 110 males and 93 females with an average age of 21.5 ± 1.2 years, was conducted in 2009 in Taipei City. A Western blot analysis based on excretory-secre­tory antigens derived from Toxocara canis larvae (TcESs) was applied to determine the positivity of serum immunoglobulin G antibodies. A self-administered question­naire was also given to obtain information about demographic characteris­tics, epilepsy awareness, and risk factors. A logistic regression model was applied for the statistical analysis using SPSS software. Results: The overall seropositive rate of Toxocara spp. infection was 8.4% (17/203). As to epilepsy awareness, a non-significantly higher seroprevalence was found in CSs who claimed to "know" about epilepsy compared to those who did not know (P > 0.05). Conclusions: It appears that appropriate educational programs are urgently needed to provide correct knowledge related to the prevention and control measures against Toxocara spp. infections to avoid potential threats by this parasite to the general population in Taiwan. https://ijpa.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijpa/article/view/315 https://ijpa.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijpa/article/download/315/290