scholarly journals First cases of Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection reported in Martinique, 2002–2017

Parasite ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
pp. 31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Céline Dard ◽  
Eve Tessier ◽  
Duc Nguyen ◽  
Loïc Epelboin ◽  
Dorothée Harrois ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
West Indies ◽  
Human Infection ◽  
Angiostrongylus Cantonensis ◽  
Medical Community ◽  
Parasitic Disease ◽  
Larval Form ◽  
Accidental Ingestion ◽  
Neurological Sequelae ◽  
Caribbean Islands ◽  
Life Threatening

Neuroangiostrongyliasis is a parasitic disease caused by the accidental ingestion of the nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis in its larval form. Human infection can lead to eosinophilic meningitis, sometimes complicated by life-threatening radiculomyelitis or encephalitis. Although some cases have been reported from other Caribbean Islands, no cases have been diagnosed in Martinique so far. Here, we report the first eight laboratory-confirmed cases of neuroangiostrongyliasis on the island of Martinique, French West Indies, between 1 January 2002 and 31 December 2017. One case was fatal and five resulted in neurological sequelae. The medical community should consider the risk of A. cantonensis infection in patients living in or returning from Martinique.

scholarly journals Angiostrongylus costaricensis infection in Martinique, Lesser Antilles, from 2000 to 2017

Parasite ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Céline Dard ◽  
Duc Nguyen ◽  
Charline Miossec ◽  
Katia de Meuron ◽  
Dorothée Harrois ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Human Infection ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Medical Community ◽  
Diagnostic Tools ◽  
Intestinal Lesions ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
The University

Human abdominal angiostrongyliasis (HAA) is a parasitic disease caused by the accidental ingestion of the nematode Angiostrongylus costaricensis in its larval form. Human infection can lead to severe ischemic and inflammatory intestinal lesions, sometimes complicated by life-threatening ileal perforations. Only one case had been reported in Martinique, an Island in the French Antilles, in 1988. We retrospectively reviewed the medical charts of patients diagnosed with abdominal angiostrongyliasis at the University Hospital of Martinique between 2000 and 2017. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the incidence and perform a descriptive analysis of the clinical, biological, radiological, and histopathological features of HAA in Martinique. Two confirmed cases and two probable cases were identified in patients aged from 1 to 21 years during the 18-year period, with an estimated incidence of 0.2 cases per year (0.003 case/year/100.000 inhabitants (IC95% = 0.00–0.05)). All patients presented with abdominal pain associated with high blood eosinophilia (median: 7.24 G/L [min 4.25; max 52.28 G/L]). Two developed ileal perforation and were managed by surgery, with diagnostic confirmation based on histopathological findings on surgical specimens. The other two cases were probable, with serum specimens reactive to Angiostrongylus sp. antigen in the absence of surgery. All cases improved without sequelae. The description of this case series highlights the need to increase awareness of this life-threatening disease in the medical community and to facilitate access to specific diagnostic tools in Martinique. Environmental and epidemiological studies are needed to broaden our knowledge of the burden of this disease.

Ustilago scitaminea. [Distribution map].

1991 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Central America ◽  
West Indies ◽  
Ivory Coast ◽  
Ryukyu Islands ◽  
Distribution Map ◽  
Caribbean Islands ◽  
Ustilago Scitaminea ◽  
New Distribution

Abstract A new distribution map is provided for Ustilago scitaminea H. Sydow. Hosts: Sugarcane (Saccharum). Information is given on the geographical distribution in Africa, Burkina Faso, Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Reunion, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Asia, Afghanistan, Burma, Cambodia, China, Canton, Szechwan, Kwantung, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Java, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Ryukyu Islands, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, USSR, Turkestan, Australasia & Oceania, Fiji, Hawaii, Europe, Portugal, North America, Mexico, USA, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Texas, Central America & West Indies, Barbados, Belize, Caribbean Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, St Kitts, Trinidad & Tobago, South America, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Minas Gerais, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Ceara, Colombia, Guyana, Surinam, Venezuela.

Roche and Tamiflu®: Doing Business in the Shadow of Pandemic

2017 ◽  
pp. 1-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy Feddersen ◽  
Jochen Gottschalk ◽  
Lars Peters
Keyword(s):  
Patent Protection ◽  
Antiviral Drug ◽  
Profit Maximization ◽  
Human Infection ◽  
Western World ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Bird Flu ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Spanish Flu

The spread of bird flu outside of Asia, particularly in Africa and Europe, topped headlines in 2006. The migration of wild birds brought the virus to Europe, where for the first time it spread to productive livestock, bringing it closer to the Western world. Due to today's globalized and highly interconnected world, the consequences of a potential bird flu pandemic are expected to be much more severe than those of the Spanish flu, which killed 50-100 million people between 1918 and 1921. A vaccine for the bird virus is currently not available. As of July 2006, 232 cases of human infection had been documented, mostly through direct contact with poultry. Of those, 134 people died. The best medication available to treat bird flu was Roche's antiviral drug Tamiflu. However, Tamiflu was not widely available; current orders of government bodies would not be fulfilled until the end of 2008. Well aware that today's avian flu might become a global pandemic comparable to the Spanish flu, Roche CEO Franz Humer had to decide how Roche should respond. While the pharmaceutical industry continued its research efforts on vaccines and medications, Tamiflu could play an important role by protecting healthcare workers and helping to contain the virus---or at least slow down its spread. Due to patent protection and a complicated production process with scarce raw ingredients, Roche had been the only producer of the drug. Partly in response to U.S. political pressure, in November 2005 Roche allowed Gilead to produce Tamiflu as well. Even so, it would take at least until late 2007 for Roche and Gilead to meet the orders of governments worldwide. The issue was a difficult one for Roche: What were the risks; what were the opportunities? If a pandemic occurred before sufficient stockpiles of Tamiflu had been built up, would Roche be held responsible? What steps, if any, should Roche take with respect to patent protection and production licensing in the shadow of a potential pandemic?Students will weigh the benefits of short-term profit maximization against the risks that a highly uncertain event could pose to a business and consider nonstandard approaches to mitigate these risks. Students will discuss the challenges of addressing low-probability, high-impact events; potential conflicts with the short-term view of the stock market and analyst community; and challenges of the patent protection model for drugs for life-threatening diseases.

scholarly journals Clinical prediction rule for neurological sequelae due to acute encephalopathy: a medical community-based validation study in Harima, Japan

BMJ Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. e016675 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaori Sasaki ◽  
Hiroaki Nagase ◽  
Azusa Maruyama ◽  
Kyoko Fujita ◽  
Masahiro Nishiyama ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Roc Analysis ◽  
Prediction Rule ◽  
Clinical Prediction Rule ◽  
Medical Community ◽  
Acute Encephalopathy ◽  
Clinical Prediction ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Neurological Sequelae ◽  
Screening Performance ◽  
Poor Outcomes

ObjectivesThis study aimed to verify the screening performance of our clinical prediction rule for neurological sequelae due to acute encephalopathy (NSAE-CPR), which previously identified the following three variables as predictive of poor outcomes: (1) refractory status epilepticus; (2) consciousness disturbance and/or hemiplegia at 6 hours from onset and (3) aspartate aminotransferase >90 IU/L within 6 hours of onset.DesignMedical community-based multicentre retrospective cohort study.SettingSix regional hospitals in Harima and one tertiary centre in Kobe, Japan, from 2008 to 2012.ParticipantsWe enrolled a total of 1612 patients aged <16 years who met the diagnostic criteria for an initial diagnosis of complex febrile seizure. Patients with a history of neurological disease and those included in the derivation cohort were excluded.Primary outcome measuresUnivariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the association between each of the three predictor variables and poor AE outcome (Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category score ≥2). Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was also performed to assess the screening performance of the NSAE-CPR.ResultsThe ROC analysis identified at least one of the three predictive variables as an optimal cut-off point, with an area under the curve of 0.915 (95% CI 0.825 to 1.000). The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, positive and negative likelihood ratios and Matthews correlation coefficient were 0.867, 0.954, 0.149, 0.999, 18.704, 0.140 and 0.349, respectively.ConclusionsOur findings indicate that the NSAE-CPR can be used for the screening and identification of patients with poor outcomes due to acute encephalopathy within 6 hours of onset.

scholarly journals Pitfalls in the Diagnosis and Management of Invasive Pneumococcal Meningoencephalitis – What We Can Learn From a Case

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 117954761772550
Author(s):  
Pascale S Grzonka ◽  
Raoul Sutter
Keyword(s):  
Case Fatality Rate ◽  
Pneumococcal Meningitis ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
Rapid Diagnosis ◽  
Common Type ◽  
Neurological Sequelae ◽  
Management Of Complications ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
The Central Nervous System

Invasive pneumococcal meningitis is a life-threatening infectious disease affecting the central nervous system. It continues to be the most common type of community-acquired acute bacterial meningitides. Despite advances in neuro-critical care, the case fatality rate remains high. Rapid diagnosis and initiation of antibiotic therapy precludes mortality and long-term neurological sequelae in survivors. However, not all cases are easily recognised, and unanticipated complications may impede optimal course and outcome. Here, we describe a case of invasive pneumococcal meningoencephalitis in a 65-year-old man with an unusual initial presentation and pitfalls in the course of the disease. We highlight the importance of early diagnosis and treatment as well as recognition and management of complications.

OBSERVATIONS ON THE METHOD OF HUMAN INFECTION WITH ANGIOSTRONGYLUS CANTONENSIS IN TAHITI

1962 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 755-760 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph E. Alicata ◽  
Robert W. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Intermediate Host ◽  
Causative Agent ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Freshwater Snail ◽  
Human Infection ◽  
Angiostrongylus Cantonensis ◽  
Intact Skin ◽  
Infective Larvae ◽  
Rat Lungworm ◽  
Land Mollusks

Infective larvae of the rat lungworm Angiostrongylus cantonensis, the causative agent of parasitic meningoencephalitis in man, have been found in about 4% of the stomach contents of freshwater prawns examined in Tahiti. This is believed to constitute the main source of the local human infection. These crustaceans and "taioro," a food consisting of grated coconut and prawn juice, are commonly eaten raw by Tahitians and some local Europeans. Infected mollusks have also been found on vegetation commonly eaten raw, and may constitute an occasional source of human infection. Laboratory-raised rats have been experimentally infected with A. cantonensis by applying infective larvae on the abraded skin. No infection occurred when the larvae were placed on the intact skin. In addition to land mollusks, the freshwater snail (Fossaria ollula) was also found to be a suitable intermediate host for A. cantonensis.

scholarly journals Activity of epigenetic inhibitors against Babesia divergens

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leen N. Vanheer ◽  
Björn F.C. Kafsack
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Structure ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Human Infection ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Parasitic Disease ◽  
High Similarity ◽  
The Past ◽  
Promising Target ◽  
Babesia Divergens ◽  
Nanomolar Range

ABSTRACTBabesiosis in a tick-borne parasitic disease of humans and livestock, that has dramatically increased in frequency and geographical range over the past few decades. Infection of cattle often causes large economic losses, and human infection can be fatal in immunocompromised patients. Unlike for malaria, another disease caused by hemoprotozoan parasites, limited treatment options exist for Babesia infections. As epigenetic regulation is a promising target for new anti-parasitic drugs, we screened 324 epigenetic inhibitors against Babesia divergens blood stages and identified 75 (23%) and 17 (5%) compounds that displayed ≥90% inhibition at 10 µM and 1 µM, respectively, including over a dozen compounds with activity in the low nanomolar range. We observed differential activity of some inhibitor classes against Babesia divergens and Plasmodium falciparum parasites and identified pairs of compounds with a high difference in activity, despite a high similarity in chemical structure, highlighting new insights into the development of epigenetic inhibitors as anti-parasitic drugs.

scholarly journals Gnathostomiasis - A Rare Nematode Infection

1970 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-29
Author(s):  
MM Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Chamber ◽  
Adult Stage ◽  
Skin Penetration ◽  
Human Infection ◽  
Stage Larva ◽  
Larval Form ◽  
The Third ◽  
Northern District ◽  
Third Stage ◽  
Raw Fish

Gnathostoma, primarily an animal nematode, is rusty in colour, 2-3 cm long in adult stage, caninfect man by their larval form. Human infection occurs by the third stage larva by consumptionof undercooked or raw fish, poultry, or pork and rarely by skin penetration, In Bangladeshgnathostomiasis is not reported. But recently a female of 38 year of age of the northern district,Rangpur has got infected with a species of Gnathostoma, manifested by the appearance of thefarva in anterior chamber of her right eye. The larva was removed from her eye surgically inliving state and the patient was cured.doi: 10.3329/taj.v16i1.3900TAJ June 2003; Vol.16(1): 28-29

scholarly journals A Rare Case of Cysticercosis Involving the Whole Spinal Canal

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoyan Zheng ◽  
Fei Wang ◽  
Lei Wang ◽  
Xiaoli Li ◽  
Jingjing Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Spinal Canal ◽  
Rare Case ◽  
Parasitic Disease ◽  
Epidemiological Investigation ◽  
Case Presentation ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
The Central Nervous System

Abstract Background Cysticercosis is the commonest parasitic disease to affect the central nervous system (CNS). However, cysticercosis affecting the spine is extremely rare. We reported a rare case of cysticercosis involving the whole spinal canal in China. Case Presentation A rare case of cysticercosis involving the entire spinal cord, in a 52-year-old Chinese man, was detected in 2021. Epidemiological investigation, clinical and etiological examination was performed. Conclusion Since spinal cysticercosis is a rare but potentially life-threatening disease, clinicians should always consider the differential diagnosis of space-occupying lesions.

scholarly journals Accidentally ingested textile foreign bodies, a cause of gastrointestinal obstruction in dogs and cats – a retrospective study

2021 ◽  
Vol 72 (06) ◽  
pp. 680-684
Author(s):  
NICULAE TUDOR ◽  
BOGDAN ALEXANDRU VIȚĂLARU ◽  
VLAD TRAIAN LUPU ◽  
MARIO DARIUS CODREANU ◽  
CARMEN MIHAI
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Bodies ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Medical Emergency ◽  
Maximum Efficiency ◽  
Radiographic Examination ◽  
Accidental Ingestion ◽  
Gastrointestinal Obstruction ◽  
Threatening Condition ◽  
Life Threatening

Gastrointestinal obstruction is a life-threatening condition that is usually caused by accidental ingestion of inedible objects, through play or food indiscretions. Ingested foreign objects generate the mechanical obstruction of the gastrointestinal segment, characterized by a relatively typical set of symptoms, depending on the location. The aim of this study was the clinical and imaging description of some cases of gastrointestinal obstruction in dogs and cats, caused by swallowing textile foreign bodies. The study included 12 dogs and 8 cats of different breeds and ages, belonging to both sexes, which showed clinical signs suggestive from a clinical-anamnestic point of view for gastrointestinal obstruction. These patients had symptoms with acute or chronic progressive evolution of the gastrointestinal tract, including restlessness, deviation, vomiting (single or repeated episodes), abdominal tenderness, constipation and tenesmus. The diagnosis was confirmed by radiographic examination, simple and with contrast medium, and ultrasound, completed in some situations with laparotomy. Ingested textile foreign bodies were represented by socks/stockings (5 dogs and 3 cats), underwear (3 dogs), rope (1 dog and 3 cats), carpet fragments (2 dog and 1 cat), toy fragments (1 dog and 1 cat), and they were located in the stomach (7/12; 58.33%, respectively 4/8; 50%), in the gastro-duodenal segment (2/12; 16.67%, respectively 3/8; 37.5%), in the jejunum (3/12; 25%, respectively 1/8; 12.5%) and in the colon (1/12; 8.33%, respectively 1/8; 12.5%). Gastrointestinal obstruction in pets, caused by accidental ingestion of textile foreign bodies, is a medical emergency and imaging examinations are the main diagnostic tool in the establishment of a subsequent therapy with maximum efficiency.

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