Abstract

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous larva migrans (CLM) is caused by nematode parasites of the hookworm family of Ancylostomatidae. Ancylostomiasis is a zoonosis found in cats and dogs, and humans are an accidental host. This report presents a case of CLM in an 8-year-old boy, which was due to the zoonotic transmission of Ancylostoma caninum from domestic dogs in an urban area of Vinces, Ecuador, and demonstrates how awareness and early diagnosis contributed to the timely treatment of CLM.

CASE REPORT: An 8-year-old boy from the urban area of Vinces city in the Los Ríos province of Ecuador presented with a serpiginous palpable lesion on the sole of the right foot, consistent with a diagnosis of cutaneous larva migrans (CLM). He was infected through contact with the soil where canine Ancylostoma larvae were found. Twenty samples of feces were analyzed from the soil, and Ancylostoma larvae were found in 100% of these samples. Also, 120 dog stool samples were examined, and 75 (62.5%) contained Ancylostoma larvae, which were identified using the modified Willis and Baermann method.

CONCLUSIONS: CLM is a zoonotic disease that can affect the population in endemic areas. In this case, CLM was identified in the sole of the foot of a child. The presence of Ancylostoma larvae were identified in the soil and in the feces of dogs, indicating that the community was exposed to a significant environmental risk from this zoonotic disease.

Keywords: Ancylostoma, Larva Migrans, Zoonoses, Ancylostomiasis, Child, Dogs, Ecuador, Endemic Diseases, Feces, Soil