A Case of Urbanorum spp. in a Woman from an Urban-Marginal Sector of Ecuador.

BACKGROUND Worldwide, there are few cases of Urbanorum spp. in humans; however, it is associated with gastrointestinal pathologies, where humans probably acquire the disease by fecal-oral transmission, by ingesting food or water with infective cysts. The main symptoms of the patients who have this presumed parasite are fever, vomiting, colic, dyspepsia, and watery diarrhea. Since the first case of Urbanorum spp. was reported in 1994 in Colombia, cases have subsequently been reported in Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico. In Ecuador, a prevalence of 1.16% has been reported, and the objective of this study was to record another case of Urbanorum spp. infection in Ecuador. CASE REPORT A female patient (mixed race; 40 years old; and thin, weighing 57 to 62 kg) requested help from the FCI Project approved and financed by the University of Guayaquil (Ecuador). She underwent routine tests, such as direct parasitology and sedimentation with centrifugation using saline solution. Samples were observed under an optical microscope with 10x and 40x objectives and stained with and without Lugol's solution. We detected a rounded structure with several filaments similar to light yellow pseudopods. CONCLUSIONS Herein, a case of Urbanorum spp. infection in Ecuador, where current environmental and sanitary conditions have contributed to new cases, is reported, indicating that the community was exposed to this probable parasite with importance in public health. Further studies are recommended to confirm its etiology, life cycle, and epidemiology, in order to create a national registry, in case it is defined as a protozoan.

Hymenolepiasis Caused by Hymenolepis nana in Humans and Natural Infection in Rodents in a Marginal Urban Sector of Guayaquil, Ecuador.

BACKGROUND Hymenolepiasis is a globally prevalent zoonosis of the monoxenic cycle. Humans acquire the disease through fecal-oral transmission by ingesting food or water with infective eggs from infected rodents. This report presents 3 cases of hymenolepiasis in children, due to zoonotic transmission from rodents and presumably associated with the consumption of powdered milk contaminated with infective eggs of Hymenolepis nana, and shows that awareness and early diagnosis contributed to timely treatment of the disease. CASE REPORT Three children, aged 9, 12, and 13 years, living in a marginal urban area of Guayaquil, Guayas province, Ecuador, presented symptoms of diarrhea, low body weight, abdominal discomfort, anorexia, paleness, and anal itching. Subsequently, their fecal samples were analyzed by direct coproparasitic methods, flotation and sedimentation with centrifugation using saline solution; the presence of H. nana eggs was determined. Blood biometry was performed. Further, 10 rodents were captured and necropsied to obtain intestinal contents. The powdered milk consumed by the children was analyzed, the same powder that contained rodent feces. Subsequently, these were studied with the above-mentioned coproparasitic methods. H. nana eggs were identified in the 6 trapped rodents, the powdered milk, and the feces of rodents found in the milk powder. CONCLUSIONS Hymenolepiasis can affect populations of endemic areas. In this case, the disease was identified in 3 children, who were diagnosed with eosinophilia and anemia. Additionally, the presence of H. nana eggs in captured rodents and in powdered milk was determined, indicating that the community was exposed to this zoonotic disease.