Toxocariasis

Toxocariasis is a parasitic infection caused by the larvae of Toxocara canis (dog roundworm) or Toxocara cati (cat roundworm). Humans become infected by ingesting embryonated eggs, typically from contaminated soil or food, leading to visceral larva migrans (VLM) or ocular larva migrans (OLM).

This code is used when a patient is diagnosed with an infection caused by Toxocara species. Documentation should clearly indicate a confirmed or highly suspected diagnosis of toxocariasis, often supported by serological tests (e.g., ELISA for Toxocara antibodies), clinical signs (e.g., eosinophilia, hepatomegaly, vision loss), and exposure history.

• Differentiate from other helminthic infections; this code is specific to Toxocara.
• Ensure documentation specifies toxocariasis rather than a general parasitic infection.
• Consider additional codes for specific manifestations, such as eosinophilia (288.3) or hepatitis (573.3) if clearly linked and documented.