First Molecular Evidence of Emerging Lophomonas Pathogen Among Patients Suspected of Having Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Mazandaran Province, Northern Iran.

PURPOSE: Lophomoniasis is a chronic protozoan respiratory disease in humans with main clinical symptoms such as chronic cough, productive sputum, breath shortness, and occasionally hemoptysis. Differentiation diagnosis of lophomoniasis from tuberculosis (TB) and asthma is crucial. METHODS: In this study, 210 participants with suspected TB referred to tuberculosis laboratories in Mazandaran province, northeastern Iran, were enrolled during 2021. All patients showed low grade fever, chronic cough or sputum on referral. Sputum specimens were collected from the participants, and Lophomonas DNA was detected through a conventional genus-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: Out of 210 participants, 67 (31.9%) had Lophomonas spp., infection, 38 (18.1%) had TB (Smear and culture-positive), and 20 (9.5%) had both TB and Lophomonas co-infection. CONCLUSION: Based on our results, a relatively high occurrence of Lophomonas infection was found among patients suspected of having TB. Accordingly, due to the high similarity of clinical symptoms between both pulmonary diseases, it is highly recommended to accurately and early diagnose the parasite in the sputum specimen.

Paragonimiasis: Neglected, Re-Emerging or Expanding Frontiers. Lessons from a Case Presenting in Jos, Plateau State.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Paragonimiasis is endemic in Eastern Nigeria. An upsurge was recorded after the Nigeria/Biafra war as protein lack in Biafra forced people to eat fresh water crabs. Its protean manifestations create confusion with several diseases. Elimination was assumed after a while and suspicion index fell. The interest in reporting this case follows its presentation outside the traditional endemic zone. RESULTS: The patient, though living in Eastern Nigeria and manifesting several pointers of Paragonimiasis, was treated as tuberculosis despite negative sputum AFB; without improving. He then presented up-country in Jos where history led to suspicion and confirmation of Paragonimiasis. By this time he had severe cor-pulmonale and died despite treatment. CONCLUSION: In this current economic downturn in Nigeria which may drive people to cheaper protein sources, a high index of suspicion should be raised for paragonimiasis when a patient presents with chronic cough productive of AFB-negative sputum and haemoptysis.

First case report of paragonimiasis in a Malaysian man.

Paragonimiasis is an infection caused by Paragonimus, a lung fluke and is acquired by eating raw or undercooked crustaceans containing the infective metacercariae. Herein, we report a case of paragonimiasis in a Malaysian man who presented with incidental findings from chest radiographs. Examination of his biopsied lung tissue and sputum specimen revealed Paragonimus sp. eggs, whereas stool examination showed the presence of Giardia cysts. Patient was succesfully treated with praziquantel and metronidazole respectively.

Evaluating respiratory cryptosporidiosis in pediatric diarrheal disease: protocol for a prospective, observational study in Malawi.

BACKGROUND: Cryptosporidium is among the most common causes of severe diarrhea in African children 0-23 months old. It is associated with excess mortality, stunting and malnutrition. The most common manifestation of cryptosporidium is intestinal diarrheal disease. However, respiratory cryptosporidiosis has been documented in up to a third of children presenting with diarrhea. It is unclear whether respiratory involvement is a transient phenomenon or a reservoir for gastrointestinal (GI) disease. This study aims to evaluate the role of respiratory cryptosporidiosis in pediatric diarrheal disease. METHODS: This is a prospective, observational study conducted at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) in Blantyre, Malawi. Young children aged 2-24 months hospitalized with diarrhea will be enrolled. Enrolled children will have induced sputum, nasopharyngeal (NP) swab and stool samples collected. All participants positive for cryptosporidium on sputum/NP/stool PCR testing will be followed up fortnightly after discharge from the hospital up to 8 weeks post-discharge. Sputum/NP/stool sample collection will be done at each visit. The primary outcomes will be presence of Cryptosporidium spp. in sputum/NP/stool. The secondary outcome will be presence of respiratory and GI symptoms, mortality and stunting. Ethical approval was obtained from the University of Malawi College of Medicine Research Ethics Committee (COMREC) and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) research ethics committee. DISCUSSION: The study began recruitment activities at QECH in February 2019. The protocol allows for expansion of recruitment to secondary sites within Blantyre and Chikwawa districts in the event that targets are not met at QECH. Study recruitment is expected to continue until early 2020.

Diagnosis of Human Trematode Infections.

Digenetic trematodes form a major group of human parasites, affecting a large number of humans, especially in endemic foci. Over 100 species have been reported infecting humans, including blood, lung, liver, and intestinal parasites. Traditionally, trematode infections have been diagnosed by parasitological methods based on the detection and the identification of eggs in different clinical samples. However, this is complicated due to the morphological similarity between eggs of different trematode species and other factors such as lack of sensitivity or ectopic locations of the parasites. Moreover, the problem is currently aggravated by migratory flows, international travel, international trade of foods, and changes in alimentary habits. Although efforts have been made for the development of immunological and molecular techniques, the detection of eggs through parasitological techniques remains as the gold standard for the diagnosis of trematodiases. In this chapter, we review the current status of knowledge on diagnostic techniques used when examining feces, urine, and sputum and also analyze the most relevant characteristics used to identify eggs with a quick key for the identification of eggs.

Strongyloides stercoralis infection: A systematic review of endemic cases in Spain.

BACKGROUND: Strongyloides stercoralis infection, a neglected tropical disease, is widely distributed. Autochthonous cases have been described in Spain, probably infected long time ago. In recent years the number of diagnosed cases has increased due to the growing number of immigrants, travelers and refugees, but endemically acquired cases in Spain remains undetermined. METHODOLOGY: We systematically searched the literature for references on endemic strongyloidiasis cases in Spain. The articles were required to describe Strongyloides stercoralis infection in at least one Spanish-born person without a history of travel to endemic areas and be published before 31st May 2018. Epidemiological data from patients was collected and described individually as well as risk factors to acquisition of the infection, diagnostic technique that lead to the diagnosis, presence of eosinophilia and clinical symptoms at diagnosis. FINDINGS: Thirty-six studies were included, describing a total of 1083 patients with an average age of 68.3 years diagnosed with endemic strongyloidiasis in Spain. The vast majority of the cases were described in the province of Valencia (n = 1049). Two hundred and eight of the 251 (82.9%) patients in whom gender was reported were male, and most of them had current or past dedication to agriculture. Seventy percent had some kind of comorbidity. A decreasing trend in the diagnosed cases per year is observed from the end of last decade. However, there are still nefigw diagnoses of autochthonous cases of strongyloidiasis in Spain every year. CONCLUSIONS: With the data provided by this review it is likely that in Spain strongyloidiasis might have been underestimated. It is highly probable that the infection remains undiagnosed in many cases due to low clinical suspicion among Spanish population without recent travel history in which the contagion probably took place decades ago.

Lethal strongyloidiasis - Diagnostic and forensic issues.

Strongyloidiasis is an infectious disease affecting approximately 30-100 million people globally. The main human pathogen is Strongyloides stercoralis which may cause a brief period of acute symptoms and signs after the initial infection, and then lapse into a chronic asymptomatic carrier state for decades due to the nematode's unique ability to autoinfect hosts. Immunosuppression from steroid therapy, T-lymphocytic viral (HTLV-1) infections, or a variety of underlying medical conditions may then result in dissemination and the highly lethal and infectious hyperinfection syndrome. Clinical suspicions for the condition are often not high in non-endemic areas, the diagnosis is difficult, and the incidence is increasing, particularly given recent mass population movements. Indications of infection at autopsy include gastrointestinal ulceration and haemorrhage, with pulmonary oedema, congestion, haemorrhage and diffuse alveolar damage.

[Severe Strongyloides stercoralis infection: a case report].

This paper reports a severe case of Strongyloides stercoralis infection during routine sputum smear examinations, due to cough and shortness of breath, so as to improve clinicians' awareness of strongyloidiasis to avoid and reduce misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis.

Expectoration of Cryptosporidium Parasites in Sputum of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Positive and -Negative Adults.

Respiratory cryptosporidiosis is thought to be a rare, end-stage complication of HIV. Few studies have systematically examined the frequency of such infection in adults. Sputum specimens submitted for tuberculosis (TB) testing at Mulago Hospital, Uganda, were anonymously retested for Cryptosporidium using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Visual confirmation using immunofluorescence confocal microscopy was performed for a subset of PCR-positive samples. Of 824 sputum samples tested, 24 (2.9%) were Cryptosporidium positive. Prevalence in sputum ranged between 0% and 10% in each month of the study and exceeded TB prevalence in some months. In this referral population, respiratory Cryptosporidium prevalence was lower in people with HIV (1.3% versus 4.4% without HIV, P = 0.028) and higher in those with TB (6.8% versus 2.6% without TB, P = 0.086). The weak association between respiratory Cryptosporidium infection and TB persisted after controlling for HIV (odds ratio = 3.2, 95% confidence interval: 0.9, 11.8; P = 0.080). This is the first study to document adult respiratory tract cryptosporidiosis in a referral population with presumed TB. These findings 1) confirm that Cryptosporidium respiratory infection occurs in HIV-negative and -positive adults; 2) suggest there is potential for Cryptosporidium to be disseminated or transmitted by coughing or expectoration; and 3) identify possible synergy between Cryptosporidium and TB in the respiratory tract.

A case of multifocal medulloblastoma in an adult patient.

Only five cases of multifocal medulloblastoma in the adult have been reported to date. We present a case in a male patient in his 50th decade of life who presented with three extra-axial lesions associated with a parenchymatous lesion of the right middle cerebellar peduncle. Sputum sample examination revealed larvae compatible with strongyloides stercoralis, which was our main differential diagnosis. Histological and immunohistochemical studies revealed the existence of a desmoplastic medulloblastoma.

Prevalence and clinical relevance of helminth co-infections among tuberculosis patients in urban Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Helminth infections can negatively affect the immunologic host control, which may increase the risk of progression from latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection to tuberculosis (TB) disease and alter the clinical presentation of TB. We assessed the prevalence and determined the clinical relevance of helminth co-infection among TB patients and household contact controls in urban Tanzania. METHODOLOGY: Between November 2013 and October 2015, we enrolled adult (≥18 years) sputum smear-positive TB patients and household contact controls without TB during an ongoing TB cohort study in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. We used Baermann, FLOTAC, Kato-Katz, point-of-care circulating cathodic antigen, and urine filtration to diagnose helminth infections. Multivariable logistic regression models with and without random effects for households were used to assess for associations between helminth infection and TB. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A total of 597 TB patients and 375 household contact controls were included. The median age was 33 years and 60.2% (585/972) were men. The prevalence of any helminth infection among TB patients was 31.8% (190/597) and 25.9% (97/375) among controls. Strongyloides stercoralis was the predominant helminth species (16.6%, 161), followed by hookworm (9.0%, 87) and Schistosoma mansoni (5.7%, 55). An infection with any helminth was not associated with TB (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.26, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.88-1.80, p = 0.22), but S. mansoni infection was (aOR 2.15, 95% CI: 1.03-4.45, p = 0.040). Moreover, S. mansoni infection was associated with lower sputum bacterial load (aOR 2.63, 95% CI: 1.38-5.26, p = 0.004) and tended to have fewer lung cavitations (aOR 0.41, 95% CI: 0.12-1.16, p = 0.088). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: S. mansoni infection was an independent risk factor for active TB and altered the clinical presentation in TB patients. These findings suggest a role for schistosomiasis in modulating the pathogenesis of human TB. Treatment of helminths should be considered in clinical management of TB and TB control programs.

Strongyloidiasis in Ontario: Performance of diagnostic tests over a 14-month period.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the performance of stool microscopy, serology, and real time PCR (qPCR) for the diagnosis of strongyloidiasis at our reference laboratory. METHODS: Using a convenience sample of specimens submitted between April 1, 2014 and May 31, 2015, positivity rates and performance characteristics were calculated. RESULTS: During the enrolment period, 17,933 stool specimens were examined for O&P, 14 of which were positive for Strongyloides larvae. For stool specimens serially positive for larvae, mean duration of larval shedding was 12.7 days following the initial positive specimen, while for sputum and urine, it was 12 and 2 days, respectively. During the enrolment period, 3258 specimens were processed for Strongyloides serology, 200 of which were reactive (6.1%), 210 indeterminate (6.5%), and 2848 non-reactive (87.4%). qPCR was positive in 11 of 12 (91.7%) stool specimens containing larvae, and negative in all stool specimens without larvae by microscopy. There was no cross-reactivity of Strongyloides-specific qPCR to other stool protozoa or helminths. CONCLUSIONS: In the absence of immunosuppression, larval burden in strongyloidiasis is low, limiting the utility of microscopy, and favoring serologic testing. However, false negative serology can occur in those with hyperinfection necessitating a combined diagnostic approach. qPCR was insufficiently sensitive to replace microscopy for detection of larvae.

Human Pulmonary Infection by the Zoonotic Metastrongylus salmi Nematode. The First Reported Case in the Americas.

Pulmonary metastrongylosis, a zoonotic disease found primarily in pigs, is caused by eight different species of the cosmopolitan nematode Metastrongylus genus. To date, only four human cases have been reported, all from Europe. Herein, a severe case of pulmonary infection caused by Metastrongylus salmi in an Ecuadorian man, with successful treatment with ivermectin, is described.

Coinfection of Pulmonary Paragonimiasis and Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Thailand.

The authors report a case of coinfection of pulmonary paragonimiasis and pulmonary tuberculosis which is an uncommon coinfection. The patient presented with a one-week history of nonmassive hemoptysis about 1 month after completion of treatment for smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis (sputum polymerase chain reaction positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis). She lived in Nakhon Nayok province and reported taking raw crabs from time to time. The complete blood count revealed eosinophilia and her chest radiograph showed patchy infiltration at right lower lung field. Computed tomography scan of the chest revealed consolidation with internal air bubbles at anterobasal segment of right lower lobe. The diagnosis of pulmonary paragonimiasis was confirmed by detecting eggs of the genus Paragonimus in her wet-mount sputum. She was treated with oral praziquantel for 3 consecutive days with improvement. To our knowledge, although coinfection of pulmonary paragonimiasis and pulmonary tuberculosis is rare, it should be considered as the differential diagnosis in patients who live in the endemic area presenting with hemoptysis and eosinophilia.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome due to Strongyloides stercoralis infection in a patient with cervical cancer.

A 62-year-old woman complained of diarrhea and vomiting after receiving chemotherapy for cervical cancer in association with high doses of corticosteroids. Two months later, the patient developed acute respiratory distress syndrome, and numerous Strongyloides stercoralis parasites were found in the intrabronchial discharge. Ivermectin was administered daily until nematodes were no longer detected in the sputum, and the patient's condition was successfully rescued. Antibodies for human T-cell lymphotropic virus-1 (HTLV-1) were positive. HTLV-1 infection and the administration of corticosteroids are known risk factors for strongyloides hyperinfection syndrome. Therefore, physicians should consider this disease in the differential diagnosis of patients from endemic areas who present with gastrointestinal symptoms under these risk factors.

First case of Paragonimus westermani infection in a female patient in India.

Paragonimiasis is a foodborne parasitic zoonosis caused by lung fluke species of the genus Paragonimus. The Paragonimus westermani is the most common human pathogen in Asian countries. In northeast India, Paragonimus heterotremus has been documented as the only human pathogen in the earlier literature. In India, P. westermani infection in humans remained undetermined. Herein, we report a case of pulmonary paragonimiasis due to P. westermani in an adult female in Manipur. The diagnosis was made by morphological and molecular characterisation of the eggs in the sputum. This is the first confirmed case of paragonimiasis due to P. westermani in India.

Pulmonary Paragonimiasis Mimicking Tuberculosis.

Paragonimiasis is a disease which is frequently misdiagnosed as pulmonary tuberculosis. In the areas where people eat crab/crayfish this disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis to avoid antituberculosis treatment for a non-tubercular condition. We are reporting a case of pulmonary paragonimiasis who had been treated for tuberculosis.