title: Longitudinal clinical and serological survey of abdominal angiostrongyliasis in Guaporé, southern Brazil, from 1995 to 1999.
abstract: Abdominal angiostrongyliasis is a zoonotic infection caused by Angiostrongylus costaricensis, a nematode with an intra-vascular location in the mesentery. Our objective was to address several aspects of the natural history of this parasitosis, in a longitudinal clinical and seroepidemiological study. A total of 179 individuals living in a rural area with active transmission in southern Brazil were followed for five years (1995-1999) resulting in yearly prevalence of 28.2%, 4.2%, 10%, 20.2% and 2.8% and incidences of 0%, 5.9%, 8% and 1.5%, respectively. Both men and woman were affected with higher frequencies at age 30-49 years. In 32 individuals serum samples were collected at all time points and IgG antibody reactivity detected by ELISA was variable and usually persisting not longer than one year. Some individual antibody patterns were suggestive of re-infection. There was no association with occurrence of abdominal pain or of other enteroparasites and there was no individual with a confirmed (histopathologic) diagnosis. Mollusks were found with infective third-stage larvae in some houses with an overall prevalence of 16% and a low parasitic burden. In conclusion, abdominal angiostrongyliasis in southern Brazil may be a frequent infection with low morbidity and a gradually decreasing serological reactivity.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Biologia Parasitária, Faculdade de Biociências, Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Ipiranga 6690, HSL 2o andar, sala 20, 90690-900 Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. graeteix@pucrs.br
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Graeff-Teixeira
authors.forename: Aline Hamilton
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Goulart
authors.forename: Charles de Ornellas
authors.initials: Cde O
authors.lastname: Brum
authors.forename: Antonio Carlo
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Laitano
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sievers-Tostes
authors.forename: Graziela Maria
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Zanini
authors.forename: Patrícia Leão
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Bered
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morassutti
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Geiger
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Abrahms-Sandi
authors.forename: Fernanda Teixeira dos Santos
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Rafael Lucyk
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Maurer
authors.forename: Luís Felipe
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Aguiar
authors.forename: Cinara Tentardini
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Garrido
authors.forename: Ana Cristina Aramburu
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.forename: Rubens
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Hartwig
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schulz-Key
authors.forename: Aventino Alfredo
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Agostini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D017185:Angiostrongylus cantonensis / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008974:Mollusca / Q000469:parasitology; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D017206:Strongylida Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D007074:Immunoglobulin G