0000000000661448
AUTHOR
M. Victoria Periago
Fluke egg characteristics for the diagnosis of human and animal fascioliasis by Fasciola hepatica and F. gigantica
In trematodiases, shape and size of the fluke eggs shed with faeces are crucial diagnostic features because of their typically reduced intraspecific variability. In fascioliasis, the usual diagnosis during the biliary stage of infection is based on the classification of eggs found in stools, duodenal contents or bile. The aim of the present study is to validate the identification of Fasciola species based on the shape and size of eggs shed by humans, characterizing their morphometric traits using a computer image analysis system (CIAS). The influence of both the geographical location and of the host (human and livestock) has been analysed. Coprological studies were carried out in fasciolias…
Assessing the validity of an ELISA test for the serological diagnosis of human fascioliasis in different epidemiological situations
Objectives To improve the diagnosis of human fascioliasis caused by Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica, we evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), with Fasciola antigen from the adult liver fluke, for the detection of IgG against fascioliasis in human sera. Methods The sera of 54 fascioliasis cases, originating from three endemic areas, were used in this evaluation: (i) a hyperendemic F. hepatica area where humans usually shed a great number of parasite eggs in faeces (11 sera); (ii) an epidemic F. hepatica area where humans usually shed small amounts of parasite eggs (24 sera) and (iii) an overlap area of both Fasciola species and where huma…
Very High Fascioliasis Intensities in Schoolchildren from Nile Delta Governorates, Egypt: The Old World Highest Burdens Found in Lowlands
Quantitative coprological analyses of children were performed in Alexandria and Behera governorates, Egypt, to ascertain whether individual intensities in the Nile Delta lowlands reach high levels as those known in hyperendemic highland areas of Latin America. Analyses focused on subjects presenting intensities higher than 400 eggs per gram of faeces (epg), the high burden cut-off according to WHO classification. A total of 96 children were found to shed between 408 and 2304 epg, with arithmetic and geometric means of 699.5 and 629.07 epg, respectively. Intensities found are the highest hitherto recorded in Egypt, and also in the whole Old World. A total of 38 (39.6%) were males and 58 (60.…