Naslov
Strongyloidiasis in continental North Croatia – comparison of patients' pata following a 50- year time gap
(Strongyloidiasis in continental North Croatia – comparison of patients' pata following a 50-year time gap)

Autori
Balen Topić, Mirjana

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, neobjavljeni rad, stručni

Skup
3rd South-East European conference on travel, tropical, migration medicine & HIV and 4th Croatian conference on travel, tropical, migration medicine and HIV

Mjesto i datum
Zadar, Hrvatska, 16.09.2021. - 19.09.2021

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Poster

Vrsta recenzije
Domaća recenzija

Ključne riječi
strongyloidiasis ; continental North Croatia ; patient

Sažetak
Objectives: Autochthonous human infections with Strongyloides stercoralis have been documented in continental North Croatia more than half a century ago. With this comparison of patients' data we aimed to find changes in the demographic, epidemiological and clinical burden of the disease after a 50-year time gap. Methods: We compared data from two retrospective descriptive studies originating from two periods, 1964-1966 and 2010- 2021, respectively, regarding patients from continental North Croatia, treated for strongyloidiasis at the University Hospital for Infectious Diseases “Dr. Fran Mihaljević” in Zagreb. The diagnosis was made by direct methods, using light microscopy, and/or serology (latter only in the recent study). Results: Comparing the data from an old (100 patients / two years) and a recent (79 patients / 11.5 years) study, the mean yearly number of cases decreased (50 vs. 6.9 patients), the patients became older (93% <50 yrs. vs. 16.5% <50 yrs.), in both studies males predominated (54% vs. 62%), the clinical presentation has changed (92% mild/moderate chronic gastro/enterocolitic symptoms, 8% asymptomatic vs. 15.2% acute symptomatic infection, 35.4% chronic symptomatic infection, 6.3% hyperinfection, 43.0% asymptomatic), the presence of blood eosinophilia increased (67 vs. 90% ), the sensitivity of saline provocation (89.5 vs. 84.3%), and three stool samples for cysts and ova after concentration (73 vs. 25.3%) decreased. However, in the old study there were no immunosuppressed patients, hyperinfections, or deaths reported, whereas in the recent one there were 22 (27.8%) immunossuppresed patients, 5 of these had hyperinfection, of which three died. Conclusions: Human strongyloidiasis is still an autochthonous disease in continental North Croatia. In comparison to the period of 50 years ago, the disease has nowadays become very rare, but severe clinical presentations have become more frequent, both of which could have negatively influenced the disease outcome, with more frequent lethal consequences. Therefore, additional education of the clinicians, especially those dealing with immunosuppressed persons, should be done.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Kliničke medicinske znanosti

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