Parasitosis among apparently healthy immigrant workers at Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

A cross sectional study was conducted on randomly selected 161 apparently healthy immigrant workers in Dammam City, with ages ranged between 21 to 40 years. A required data were taken via a designed questionnaire and stool samples were collected and examined microscopically by direct wet mount (saline and iodine stained smears) and by formalin ether concentration sedimentation technique. The results showed 99/161 (55.3%) suffered parasitosis. These were in a descending order they were E. histolytica (50.5%), Giardia lamblia (38.8%), Enterobius. vermicularis (12.1%), Entamaeba coli (12.1%), Trichuris trichiura (11.1%), Hymenolepis. nana (11.1%), Schisto-soma haematobiumn (10.1%), A.scaris lumbricoides (9.09%), S. mansosoni (7.07%), Dicrocelium dendriticum (5.05%), and Fasciola species (3.03%). On the other hand, 72 (44.7%) of the immigrant workers were Toxoplasma gondii ELISA-IgG positive. The intervention programs including health education, strict supervision of health authorities on immigrant workers as well as environmental sanitation are required.

Specific antibody detection in serum, urine and saliva samples for the diagnosis of cystic echinococcosis.

Serum, saliva and urine samples of 25 clinically and radiologically diagnosed cystic echinoccosis (CE) patients, 25 clinically suspected cases of CE, 15 other parasitic disease controls and 25 healthy controls were evaluated for anti-hydatid antibody response by ELISA. The sensitivity of serum, saliva and urine was found to be 72, 56 and 84%, respectively, while specificity was 76% in all the samples. Urine showed significantly higher (p<0.05) sensitivity than that of saliva samples but not significantly higher (p>0.05) than that of serum samples. There was no significant difference in the immune response of patients with hepatic versus extrahepatic cysts and single versus multiple cysts. Thus, biological fluid like urine may be used as an alternative or as an adjunct to serum samples by virtue of its non-invasive, easy collection and similar sensitivity and specificity.

[Diagnostic and treatment of hypereosinophilia upon return from the tropics: 102 patients]. / Diagnostic et traitement des hypereosinophilies sanguines au retour des tropiques: a propos de 102 patients.

Management of blood eosinophilia in travelers returning from the tropics is controversial. In this prospective study, 102 asymptomatic tropical travelers underwent investigation and treatment for hypereosinophilia. In contrast with direct tests for parasitic infection which were positive in only 15% of cases, immunological tests were suggestive of helminthic infection is 77%. The most common diagnoses were toxocarosis (49%), strongyloidiasis (30%), and filariasis (19%). Anti-parasite treatment was undertaken based on laboratory findings (12 cases) or on presumptive diagnosis using two-agent therapy (ivermectin and praziquantel) in 13 cases or three-agent therapy (ivermectin, praziquantel, flubendazole) in 77 cases. As a result of treatment, eosinophil count returned to normal in 61% of cases and decreased in 30%. These findings suggest that presumptive treatment of blood eosinophilia can be undertaken in tropical travelers using three anti-parasitic drugs: ivermectin (1 x 0.4 mg/kg), flubendazole (2 x 100 mg per day for 3 days), and praziquantel (1 x 40 mg). As a precaution before using ivermectin, tests should be performed to detect loiasis which can lead to adverse reactions.

Ecdysteroid-like compounds in human urine: they can occur in the absence of any parasitic infection.

Ecdysteroids (compounds related to 20-hydroxyecdysone, the insect molting hormone) can appear in the blood and urine of man, as a result of an infection with helminths. It has been assumed that the products are released by parasites. However, we found that the phenomenon is not restricted to helminthiases, but is widely spread among patients suffering from various diseases or injuries: twenty percent of hospital in-patients had urine highly positive in our test. This was due to the appearance of immunoreactive compounds not found in healthy people. Among them, one was remarkable for being largely predominant in some patients. These findings indicate that the origin and significance of ecdysteroids in man should be reconsidered. Since they appear only in association with severe pathological conditions, they could be of potential interest as a clinical marker.

Epidemiological study of parasitic infections in Somali nomads.

In Somali nomads the incidence of intestinal helminths is very low compared with that observed in Somalian closed institutions and practically no Entamoeba infection occurs. Schistosoma haematobium eggs are observed in urine of 50% of adults nomads. Immunological tests reveal that the relative prevalences of leishmaniasis (the lowest), malaria, and toxoplasmosis (the highest) in nomads are similar to those shown by the same techniques in settled communities.

[Parasitologic collection technic and examination methods in equatorial West Africa]. / Parasitologische Sammeltechnik und Untersuchungsmethodik im äquatorialen Westafrika.

The author has been a medical doctor and parasitologist over some years in different West-African countries. Based on his personal experience he underlines the special methodological conditions as well for the diagnoser as for the collector of parasitological documenting material. In this respect, the climatological factors have to be regarded as well as sociological and religious situations.