Vol 27 No 2 December - The Indian Society for Parasitology
Vol 27 No 2 December - The Indian Society for Parasitology
Vol 27 No 2 December - The Indian Society for Parasitology
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80 Parasitic infections in travelers<br />
JPD : <strong>Vol</strong>. <strong>27</strong> (2), 2003<br />
southern Italy were registered in the Czech Republic, responsible <strong>for</strong> considerable morbidity among<br />
<strong>The</strong> diagnosis in these cases was confirmed by the travelers to the tropics (Parija, 1996).<br />
microscopic finding of amastigotes in bone marrow,<br />
A study was carried out to assess helminth infestations<br />
liver, spleen and, also, by serology. All these patients<br />
in non-European travelers coming from tropical<br />
were successfully treated with amphotericin B. countries to Leipzig (East Germany), in 1985. In the<br />
(Sundar S, 2002). Such cases of imported VL have also<br />
study, 52% of the individuals were found to be infected<br />
been documented in travelers from Austria (Stoiser et<br />
with a variety of helminthes. Infestation rate was 38%<br />
at, 1998).<br />
<strong>for</strong> T. trichiura, 21% <strong>for</strong> "Ancylostomatidae" and 17%<br />
Compromised travelers represent a diverse and <strong>for</strong> A. lumbricoides. Travelers from South Asia and<br />
challenging group of individuals. <strong>The</strong>y include HIV- Southeast Asia showed the highest rate of infestation,<br />
infected patients, functionally or anatomically 93% on average (Vietnamese: 98%). <strong>The</strong> smallest rate<br />
asplenic and patients who are iatrogenically of infestation (12%) was found with persons from<br />
immunosuppressed from medications utilized <strong>for</strong> Central and East Asia (Mongolians: 0.4%). Multisolid<br />
organ transplantation, chemotherapy, or infestations were frequent (Laos 67.4%, Vietnam<br />
treatment of malignancies. <strong>The</strong>se patients during 65.3% of the examined persons) (Krause, 1985). In<br />
travel may encounter leishmaniasis and other another study, the majority of intestinal parasites<br />
unfamiliar opportunistic and classical tropical isolated in Switzerland were found to be imported by<br />
infections, whose pathogenesis can be enhanced by refugees and travelers. Nematodes were more<br />
the presence of prior HIV infection (Mileno and Bia, frequently isolated among refugees, whereas<br />
1998). Leishmaniasis and HIV co-infection has G.lamblia and S. stercoralis predominated in<br />
resulted in the spread of leishmaniasis from rural to travelers. Hypereosinophilia occurred frequently with<br />
urban areas and the spread of HIV outward from cities some parasites (Landry and van Saanen, 1997).<br />
(Martinez, 2000). In addition to these, intravenous<br />
Nine species of parasites were found in 64.9% of Thai<br />
drug uses have compounded the problem of<br />
laborers working in Taiwan. <strong>The</strong>se induced<br />
leishmaniasis. Leishmania species have been detected<br />
Opisthorchis viverrini, hookworm, S. stercoralis, G.<br />
in 52% of the discarded syringes of the drug users in<br />
lamblia, T. trichiura, Fasciolopsis buski, Taenia sp,<br />
Madrid, Spain (Cruz et al, 2002).<br />
Echinostoma sp, Entamoeba coli. <strong>The</strong>se findings<br />
Geohelminthic infections<br />
suggest that the migration of <strong>for</strong>eign workers from<br />
developing regions to developed countries may<br />
Geohelminthic infections are acquired by humans as a<br />
potentially lead to transmission of intestinal parasitic<br />
result of his contact with soil. <strong>The</strong> infective <strong>for</strong>m of the<br />
infections (Cheng and Shieh, 2000). A retrospective<br />
parasites are present in the soil, and man acquires the<br />
study of clinical features in expatriates returning to<br />
infection from the soil, during ingestion of food<br />
Britain from the tropics with diagnosis of ascariasis,<br />
contaminated with infective <strong>for</strong>ms, walking bare foot,<br />
trichuriasis, hookworm, and strongyloidiasis showed<br />
gardening activities, and other activities which entails<br />
that one half of all patients with intestinal<br />
contact with the soil. Ascariasis, ancytostomiasis,<br />
helminthiasis were asymptomatic. <strong>The</strong> presence of<br />
trichiuriasis, and strongyloidiasis are the principal<br />
eosinophilia was not a reliable indicator of infection.<br />
geohelminthic infections to affect man. Roundworm<br />
This study suggests that it may be worthwhile<br />
infestation occurs in 70-90% people in tropical<br />
per<strong>for</strong>ming stool microscopy in expatriates returning<br />
regions due to Ascaris lumbricoides. It affects 1.4<br />
from the tropics even if they are asymptomatic (Fryatt<br />
billion people in the world. Hookworm affects 1.3<br />
et al, 1990).<br />
billion people worldwide. Trichuriasis affects 800<br />
million people globally, and is widespread in South Cutaneous larva migrans (CLM) is a condition caused<br />
East Asia, including India. Strongyloides stercoralis by skin-penetrating larvae of nematodes, mainly of the<br />
affect 200 million people world wide and prevalent in hookworm Ancylostoma braziliense and other<br />
tropics with hot and humid climate. It is also common nematodes of the family Ancylostomatoideae.<br />
in travelers', immigrants and military personnel who Travelers to tropical and subtropical countries are<br />
live in the endemic area. Many of these diseases are mainly affected. Jelinek et al, 1994, in their study on