Intestinal nematode infections in Romania: an epidemiological study and brief review of literature.
OBJECTIVE
The main aim of this report was to present the epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, and therapeutic aspects of a series of patients admitted to a reference hospital from Romania and found to be infected with intestinal nematodes. Additionally, we attempted to overview, for the first time in the international literature, the most relevant data regarding diseases caused by these helminthes in Romania.


METHODS
We have retrospectively investigated the medical records of patients admitted at Victor Babes Hospital of Infectious Diseases in Timisoara (Timis County) who presented infections with intestinal nematode helminthes between 1971 and 2007.


RESULTS
Forty-two patients were found to be infected with intestinal nematode worms, with the predominance of Enterobius vermicularis (42.8%). The mean age of patients in this series was 23.5 ± 16.4 years. Women were affected in 66.7% of cases and inhabitants of urban regions in 71.4% of cases. Of this series, 57.2% of patients were adults and most of them were people with limited formal education belonging to the low social class. Overall, abdominal pain was most frequently detected (59.5%) and the mean eosinophil count was 8.2% ± 10.9% (range 1%-56%). Piperazine was administered in most of the cases (33.3%).


CONCLUSIONS
Infections with intestinal nematodes are less frequently diagnosed in hospitalized patients despite that they are quite common in the Romanian population. To further limit their occurrence, public health measures and informative campaigns for the whole population should be implemented.
Department of Parasitology, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania. raul.neghina@gmail.com
Raul
R
Neghina
Adriana M
AM
Neghina
Iosif
I
Marincu
Ioan
I
Iacobiciu
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000969:Antinematodal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017229:Enterobiasis / Q000453:epidemiology; D004757:Enterobius / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007422:Intestines / Q000469:parasitology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009349:Nematode Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000077489:Piperazine; D010879:Piperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012307:Risk Factors; D012383:Romania / Q000453:epidemiology; D012424:Rural Population; D055815:Young Adult
D000969:Antinematodal Agents; D010879:Piperazines; D000077489:Piperazine