Comparative, Clinico-Epidemiologic Study of Schistosoma mansoni Infections in Travellers and Immigrants in Spain (original) (raw)

Abstract

The study presented here aimed to contrast the marked clinical differences in the presentation of _Schistosoma mansoni_-induced infection between immigrants and travellers entering Spain from endemic regions, and to elucidate the therapeutic implications of these infections. A total of 200 African immigrants and 80 travellers with schistosomiasis were included in the study. Among the immigrants, 25 patients were diagnosed with Schistosoma mansoni infection; 15 presented with nonspecific symptoms, and 10 were asymptomatic. Hepatosplenomegaly was observed in nine. Among the travellers, 14 were diagnosed with Schistosoma mansoni infection; four were asymptomatic, four had Katayama syndrome, four had diarrhoea, and two had prostatitis. All of the patients were treated with praziquantel. Patients diagnosed with Katayama syndrome received praziquantel and dexamethasone for 3 days, with the praziquantel treatment being repeated at 3–4 weeks. The significant differences observed in the clinical presentation of _Schistosoma mansoni_-induced infection, indicate that a well-differentiated therapeutic strategy is required when this infection is diagnosed in a non-immune (traveller) or a semi-immune (immigrant) patient.

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Authors and Affiliations

1. International Health Commission, Societat Catalana de Medicina Familiar i Comunitària, Àrea bàsica de Salut el Clot, Institut Català de la Salut, c/Bilbao 305, 08026 Barcelona, Spain
   C. Roca
2. Unit of Immigration and Tropical Medicine (UITM), Hospital of Mataró, Carretera de Cirera s/n, 08304 Mataró, Spain
   X. Balanzó & J. Fernández-Roure
3. Microbiology Unit, Hospital of Mataró, Carretera de Cirera s/n, 08304 Mataró, Spain
   G. Sauca
4. Unit of Tropical Medicine, Clinical Institute of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Hospital Clinic Universitari, Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, C/Villarroel, 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
   J. Gascón & M. Corachán
5. Microbiology Unit, Clinical Institute of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Hospital Clinic Universitari, Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, C/Villarroel, 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
   T. Vinuesa & M. Valls

Authors

1. C. Roca
2. X. Balanzó
3. J. Gascón
4. J. Fernández-Roure
5. T. Vinuesa
6. M. Valls
7. G. Sauca
8. M. Corachán

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Roca, C., Balanzó, X., Gascón, J. et al. Comparative, Clinico-Epidemiologic Study of Schistosoma mansoni Infections in Travellers and Immigrants in Spain.Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 21, 219–223 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-001-0683-z

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• Published: 19 March 2002
• Issue date: March 2002
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-001-0683-z