{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,3]],"date-time":"2026-06-03T04:04:11Z","timestamp":1780459451558,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,1]],"date-time":"2026-06-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1780272000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pathogens"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati are zoonotic nematodes of dogs and cats that maintain a human infection risk through environmental contamination with highly resistant eggs. Data on toxocariasis in North Macedonia are limited, and ocular toxocariasis (OT) remains a clinically important but easily overlooked manifestation of human infection. Methods: This retrospective assessment combined coprological data from dogs and cats with a complementary clinical description of a human case of OT. Routine fecal samples from dogs and cats from January 2018 to March 2026 were morphologically examined. The human case of OT was a 13-year-old boy with unilateral ocular disease. Results: Of 465 samples, Toxocara spp. eggs were detected in 14, corresponding to an overall detection of 3.0%. Detection was 3.0% in dogs (11\/371) and 3.2% in cats (3\/94), with no significant difference between species. The human clinical component involved unilateral visual loss, strabismus, and posterior segment inflammatory changes. Conclusions: Dogs and cats in North Macedonia showed sporadic Toxocara spp. egg shedding, supporting ongoing zoonotic exposure potential. The clinically confirmed OT case complements the animal data and underscores the need for improved awareness among clinicians and veterinarians, as well as strengthened preventive measures aimed at reducing environmental contamination and zoonotic exposure.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens15060595","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,3]],"date-time":"2026-06-03T02:37:26Z","timestamp":1780454246000},"page":"595","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Zoonotic Relevance of Toxocara spp. in North Macedonia: Retrospective Veterinary Findings and a Clinically Confirmed Case of Human Ocular Toxocariasis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-7976-0237","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ana Marija","family":"Radevska","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Balkan Association for Vector-Borne Diseases, Branch Skopje\u2014North Macedonia, 1000 Skopje, North Macedonia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-2533-5768","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bojana","family":"Chapkunovska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Balkan Association for Vector-Borne Diseases, Branch Skopje\u2014North Macedonia, 1000 Skopje, North Macedonia"},{"name":"Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Lazar Pop-Trajkov 5-7, 1000 Skopje, North Macedonia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4614-9842","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Katerina","family":"Spasovska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Balkan Association for Vector-Borne Diseases, Branch Skopje\u2014North Macedonia, 1000 Skopje, North Macedonia"},{"name":"University Clinic for Infectious Diseases and Febrile Conditions, 1000 Skopje, North Macedonia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fadil","family":"Cana","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University Clinic for Infectious Diseases and Febrile Conditions, 1000 Skopje, North Macedonia"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, 1000 Skopje, North Macedonia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2883-9409","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Stefan","family":"Pandilov","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, 1000 Skopje, North Macedonia"},{"name":"University Clinic for Eye Diseases, 1000 Skopje, North Macedonia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0122-1062","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Verica","family":"Simin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pasteur Institute Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia"},{"name":"Diagnostics and Laboratory Research Task Force, Balkan Association for Vector-Borne Diseases, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7902-6606","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pavle","family":"Banovi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pasteur Institute Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia"},{"name":"Diagnostics and Laboratory Research Task Force, Balkan Association for Vector-Borne Diseases, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia"},{"name":"Department of Microbiology with Parasitology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2178-7223","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Dejan","family":"Jakimovski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Balkan Association for Vector-Borne Diseases, Branch Skopje\u2014North Macedonia, 1000 Skopje, North Macedonia"},{"name":"University Clinic for Infectious Diseases and Febrile Conditions, 1000 Skopje, North Macedonia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6582-7020","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Aleksandar","family":"Cvetkovikj","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Balkan Association for Vector-Borne Diseases, Branch Skopje\u2014North Macedonia, 1000 Skopje, North Macedonia"},{"name":"Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Lazar Pop-Trajkov 5-7, 1000 Skopje, North Macedonia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e0010123","DOI":"10.1128\/cmr.00101-23","article-title":"Human toxocariasis","volume":"38","author":"Padyala","year":"2025","journal-title":"Clin. Microbiol. Rev."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"S54","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jcpa.2015.10.179","article-title":"Major parasitic zoonoses associated with dogs and cats in Europe","volume":"155","author":"Baneth","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. Comp. Pathol."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e14","DOI":"10.1016\/S1473-3099(17)30331-6","article-title":"Human toxocariasis","volume":"18","author":"Ma","year":"2018","journal-title":"Lancet Infect. 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