Case report and brief commentary: Wuchereria bancrofti and Onchocerca volvulus co-infection in a refugee from Sierra Leone.
Filarial infection is endemic in the tropics and is a public health problem in Africa, Asia, South and Central America, and the Pacific Islands. Co-infection with filarial nematodes, if unrecognized, can result in untoward therapeutic consequences. We report a case of co-infection of Wuchereria bancrofti and Onchocerca volvulus that was diagnosed by direct blood smear (W. bancrofti ) and serology (O. volvulus) in a native of Sierra Leone. We comment briefly on the therapeutic implications of the co-infection.
Rajkumar
Michael J
MJ
Department of Pathology, Hartford Hospital, 80 Seymour Street, Hartford, CT 06102-5037, USA.
Wright
Stephanie
S
Aslanzadeh
Jaber
J
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood; D005368:Filariasis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017181:Onchocerca volvulus; D009855:Onchocerciasis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology; D012036:Refugees; D012807:Sierra Leone / Q000208:ethnology; D014481:United States; D014957:Wuchereria
D000909:Antibodies, Helminth