Disease and causative organism | Mode of transmission | Symptoms | Suggestive findings | Diagnosis | Treatment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1) In some countries only under special licence | |||||
Echinococcosis Echinococcosis (Echinococcus granulosus, Echinococcus multilocularis) | Animal faeces-intestine | Usually no symptoms, cyst-induced pressure | Cyst discovered as an incidental finding during imaging studies (usually in the liver), eosinophilia (not always) | Imaging studies, echinococcus antibody assay (a negative antibody test does not exclude the disease) | Monitoring/pharmacotherapy (albendazole1) )/ PAIR method (puncture, aspiration, injection, re-aspiration) /surgery |
Cysticercosis Cysticercosis (Taenia solium) | Faeces-intestine | Epilepsy, other CNS symptoms | Eosinophilia (not always) | Imaging studies, cysticercus antibody assay (a negative antibody test does not exclude the disease), biopsy if indicated | Monitoring/pharmacotherapy (albendazole1) ) + glucocorticoid) |
Loiasis (Loa loa) Filariases | Fly-skin | Usually no symptoms. Pruritus, urticaria, transient local swelling of subcutaneous tissues, observation of the worm as it crosses the conjunctiva | Eosinophilia | Detection of microfilariae from a blood sample collected at midday; antibody assay | Pharmacotherapy |
Lymphatic filariasis Filariases (Wurchereria sp. and Brugia sp.) | Mosquito-skin | Recurring febrile lymphangitis and lymphadenitis, usually affecting the limbs. Obstructed lymph channels and chronic oedema (elephantiasis) | Eosinophilia | Detection of microfilariae from a blood sample collected at midnight; antibody assay | Pharmacotherapy |
Onchocerciasis Filariases (Onchocerca volvulus) | Gnat-skin | Pruritus, non-tender subcutaneous nodules, chronic lymph node enlargements, ocular symptoms | Eosinophilia | Detection of microfilariae from subcutaneous tissue or an adult worm in a subcutaneous nodule. Detection of antibodies (significant result, if positive). | Pharmacotherapy |
Liver fluke diseases Liver Flukes(Fasciola hepatica, Clonorchis sinensis, Opistorchis sp.) | Water plants/fish-intestine | Hepatomegaly, biliary symptoms | Eosinophilia | Detection of eggs in the faeces or bile, flukes in bile ducts. Antibody assay in Fasciola hepatica. | Pharmacotherapy (Fasciola hepatica: triclabendazole1) ), other liver flukes: praziquantel1) ) |
Schistosomiasis Schistosomiasis (Bilharziasis) (Schistosoma sp.) | Water-skin | In acute schistosomiasis fever, urticaria, asthmatic symptoms, hepatosplenomegaly, enlarged lymph nodes. In chronic schistosomiasis haematuria or intestinal symptoms. | Eosinophilia, haematuria | In acute schistosomiasis antibody assay. In chronic schistosomiasis detection of eggs in the faeces or urine, antibody assay, urinary bladder or colon biopsy. | In acute schistosomiasis glucocorticoid, specific therapy praziquantel1) ) |
Trichinellosis Trichinellosis (Trichinella sp.) | Raw meat-intestine | Fever, myalgia | Eosinophilia | Antibody assay | No good specific therapy available, mebendazole, albendazole1) ). In acute phase NSAIDs, glucocorticoid. |