Intestinal microsporidiosis due to Enterocytozoon bieneusi in elderly human immunodeficiency virus--negative patients from Vigo, Spain.
We report what is, to our knowledge, the first study in which microsporidial infection was detected in elderly human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)--negative patients. Of the 60 elderly patients studied, 47 had diarrhea. Intestinal microsporidiosis due to Enterocytozoon bieneusi was diagnosed in 8 patients (17.02%) by use of Weber's chromotrope-based stain and polymerase chain reaction with species-specific primers. The mean age of these 8 patients was 75 years; 7 had chronic diarrhea and 1 had nonchronic diarrhea. Six of the patients with chronic diarrhea had no other pathogens isolated. In our opinion, elderly patients, because of their special immunological characteristics, should be considered a group at risk for the acquisition of intestinal microsporidiosis.
Lores
Beatriz
B
Laboratorio de Parasitología, Universidad de Vigo, and Laboratorio de Microbiología, Hospital do Meixoeiro, Vigo, Madrid, Spain.
López-Miragaya
Isabel
I
Arias
Cristina
C
Fenoy
Soledad
S
Torres
Julio
J
del Aguila
Carmen
C
D000368:Aged; D021862:Enterocytozoon; D005260:Female; D018023:HIV Seronegativity / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology*; D008297:Male; D016881:Microsporidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology*; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology