Seroepidemiology of fascioliasis in the Antalya region and uselessness of eosinophil count as a surrogate marker and portable ultrasonography for epidemiological surveillance.
BACKGROUND
Fascioliasis is a great tropical disease all over the world so we tried to investigate the incidence of fascioliasis in the Antalya region of Turkey and also to find an answer to the question if initial ultrasonographic examination (US) and eosinophil count is a predictive sign in diagnosis of fascioliasis.


METHODS
In this study, 597 adult persons were included. All cases were examined for eosinophilia and antibodies against Fasciola hepatica by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). 344 of them were examined by portable US.


RESULTS
ELISA was positive in 18 (3%) of 597 persons. This rate is appropriate for the definition of mesoendemic region for human fascioliasis. Among seropositive people only 2 (11.11%) cases had eosinophilia (p =0.3). US findings were not related to fascioliasis.


CONCLUSIONS
Future epidemiologic studies are required in order to find the real situation of fascioliasis in Turkey as in the world and initial US and eosinophil count is not useful predictive method for fascioliasis prevalence.
Turhan
Ozge
O
Akdeniz University, Faculty of Medicine, Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology Department, Antalya, Turkey.
Korkmaz
Metin
M
Saba
Rabin
R
Kabaaaliogu
Adnan
A
Inan
Dilara
D
Mamikoglu
Latife
L
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004804:Eosinophils; D005211:Fascioliasis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D014463:Ultrasonography