title: Strongyloides stercoralis is a cause of abdominal pain, diarrhea and urticaria in rural Cambodia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We document clinical manifestations of 21 patients heavily infected with S. stercoralis (more than 250 larvae in a single Baermann test) from a community in rural Cambodia, both before and three weeks after ivermectin (200 μg/kg BW, single oral dose) treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 21 patients, 20 (95.2%), 18 (85.7%) and 14 (66.7%) reported frequent abdominal pain, diarrhea and periods of sensation of itching, respectively, during the previous six months; epigastric (11, 55.0%) and peri-umbilical (13, 65.0%) pains were most frequent. Five patients (23.8%) reported having experienced urticaria the week preceding the examination. One patient suffered from extended urticaria. Three weeks after treatment, most symptoms had been almost entirely resolved.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In rural communities of Cambodia, strongyloidiasis with high parasite load is endemic. It is associated with substantial symptoms and clinical signs, particularly abdominal pain, diarrhea and urticaria. Access to adequate diagnosis and treatment is a pressing issue that needs attention.
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Parasitology, Entomology and Malaria Control, Ministry of Health, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
authors.forename: Virak
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Khieu
authors.forename: Sophanaroth
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Srey
authors.forename: Fabian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schär
authors.forename: Sinuon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Muth
authors.forename: Hanspeter
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Marti
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Odermatt
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D002160:Cambodia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012424:Rural Population; D017171:Strongyloides stercoralis / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014581:Urticaria / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D055815:Young Adult