Longitudinal clinical and serological survey of abdominal angiostrongyliasis in Guaporé, southern Brazil, from 1995 to 1999.
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.
Graeff-Teixeira
Carlos
C
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
Goulart
Aline Hamilton
AH
Brum
Charles de Ornellas
Cde O
Laitano
Antonio Carlo
AC
Sievers-Tostes
Charlotte
C
Zanini
Graziela Maria
GM
Bered
Patrícia Leão
PL
Morassutti
Alessandra
A
Geiger
Stefan
S
Abrahms-Sandi
Elizabeth
E
Oliveira
Fernanda Teixeira dos Santos
FT
Maurer
Rafael Lucyk
RL
Aguiar
Luís Felipe
LF
Garrido
Cinara Tentardini
CT
da Silva
Ana Cristina Aramburu
AC
Rodriguez
Rubens
R
Schulz-Key
Hartwig
H
Agostini
Aventino Alfredo
AA
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*
D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D007074:Immunoglobulin G