title: An outbreak of angiostrongyliasis cantonensis in Beijing.
abstract: An outbreak of 81 cases of angiostrongyliasis cantonensis (AC) occurred in Beijing, China, during June through September 2006. Epidemiological characteristics, clinical signs and symptoms, laboratory tests, imaging, and treatment data from the 81 AC patients were collected and analyzed. All cases had a history of eating raw freshwater snails, and acquired Angiostrongylus cantonensis as a result. The incubation period ranged from 1 to 36 days. The main symptoms were fever, severe headache, neck stiffness, and skin paresthesia. A significant increase in eosinophilia occurred in the peripheral blood of 62 cases and in cerebrospinal fluid of 64 cases; 36 patients presented a linearly enhanced abnormal signal of the leptomeninges site during a cranial MRI examination, indicative of meningitis; 18 cases had a significant nodule shadow and spot flaky ground-glass shadow on chest computerized tomography. All patients were relieved of their illness with a 7-day treatment of albendazole.
authors.affiliation: Beijing Tropical Medicine Research Institute, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Haiyu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Zongli
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Diao
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Xiaoli
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Suxia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Aiping
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Chenghong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017185:Angiostrongylus cantonensis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000818:Animals; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000473:pathology; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever; D016266:Food Parasitology; D005618:Fresh Water; D006261:Headache; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019547:Neck Pain; D010292:Paresthesia; D011379:Prognosis; D011859:Radiography; D012758:Shellfish / Q000469:parasitology; D012908:Snails / Q000469:parasitology; D017206:Strongylida Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D055815:Young Adult