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Imported Strongyloidiasis: Epidemiology, Presentations, and Treatment

  • Tropical and Travel Medicine (LH Chen, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Strongyloidiasis is extremely more frequent in immigrants than in travellers. Clinical presentations do not differ significantly between the two groups, and the most frequent picture is a chronic infection characterized by intermittent, mild, non-specific symptoms. Acute presentation is rare but it has been reported in travellers. Screening of asymptomatic subjects is not generally recommended, while a presumptive treatment with ivermectin might be justified for all travellers and immigrant patients presenting unexplained eosinophilia and/or compatible symptoms, even in case of negative test results. In fact, delayed diagnosis and treatment has life-threatening consequences in patients with conditions predisposing to development of hyperinfection and dissemination.

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Acknowledgements

This work has been supported by the EC within the 7th Framework Program under grant agreement no. FP7–GA-261495.

The Cohemi project study group includes: Maurizio Bonati, Francesca Severino, Valeria Confalonieri, Chiara Pandolfini, Zeno Bisoffi, Dora Buonfrate, Andrea Angheben, Marco Albonico, Alessandro Bartoloni, Marianne Strohmeyer, Lorenzo Zammarchi, Jose Muñoz, Robert Pool, Ana Requena-Mendez, Maria Roura, Anita Hardon, Christopher Pell, Peter Chiodini, Juan Moreira, Roberto Sempértegui, Mariella Anselmi, Eduardo Gotuzzo, Maria Alejandra Mena, Hector H. Garcia, Javier Bustos, Saul Santiva, Faustino Torrico,Daniel Lozano, Guido Chumiray Rojas, Teresa Hinojosa Cabrera, Javier Ochoa Morón, Ignacio Abapori Cuellar, Jaime Amorós Suarez, Gianni Tognoni, Alessandra Nicoletti, Elisa Bruno

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No potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article were reported.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Tropical Diseases (CTD), Sacro Cuore Hospital, Via Sempreboni 5, Negrar, Verona, Italy

    Dora Buonfrate, Andrea Angheben, Federico Gobbi & Zeno Bisoffi

  2. Barcelona Centre for International Health Research (CRESIB)—Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain

    Jose Muñoz & Ana Requena-Mendez

  3. Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt—Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Av. Honorio Delgado 430 San Martin de Porres, Lima, Peru

    Eduardo Gotuzzo & Maria Alejandra Mena

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  1. Dora Buonfrate
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Correspondence to Dora Buonfrate.

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Buonfrate, D., Angheben, A., Gobbi, F. et al. Imported Strongyloidiasis: Epidemiology, Presentations, and Treatment. Curr Infect Dis Rep 14, 256–262 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11908-012-0248-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11908-012-0248-6

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