[A group fever: safari's fever].
BACKGROUND
Acute schistosomiasis, called safari's fever in Africa and Katayama fever in Japan, is an immunoallergic reaction due to transcutaneous penetration of infective cercaria. We report the collective case of seven young adults spending holidays in Mali.


METHODS
An eighteen years-old girl presents fever, headache, diarrhoea and abdominal pains at return from Dogon country (south of Mali). After turned down malaria and with the notion of bathing in fresh water followed by pruritus, we think to safari's fever. So we alarm all other members of the group. All can be treated to avoid chronic schistosomiasis.


CONCLUSIONS
These observations recall that acute schistosomiasis is a real danger for tourists when bathing in fresh water in endemic areas of Africa. Education of travellers is necessary. Occurrence of safari's fever should alert physicians to prevent chronic schistosomiasis.
Cantiniaux
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Service de médecine interne, CHU La Timone, 264, rue Saint-Pierre, 13385 Marseille cedex 05, France.
Serratrice
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J
De Roux-Serratrice
C
C
Disdier
P
P
Perez
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Bricaire
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Caumes
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Mary
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Weiller
P J
PJ
D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D012553:Schistosomiasis haematobia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*