Strongyloidiasis with emphasis on human infections and its different clinical forms.
Strongyloidiasis (caused by Strongyloides stercoralis, and to a lesser extent by Strongyloides fuelleborni) is one of the most neglected tropical diseases with endemic areas and affecting more than 100 million people worldwide. Chronic infections in endemic areas can be maintained for decades through the autoinfective cycle with the L3 filariform larvae. In these endemic areas, misdiagnosis, inadequate treatment and the facilitation of the hyperinfection syndrome by immunosuppression are frequent and contribute to a high mortality rate. Despite the serious health impact of strongyloidiasis, it is a neglected disease and very little is known about this parasite and the disease when compared to other helminth infections. Control of the disease is difficult because of the many gaps in our knowledge of strongyloidiasis. We examine the recent literature on different aspects of strongyloidiasis with emphasis in those aspects that need further research.
Departamento de Parasitología, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
Rafael
R
Toledo
Departamento de Parasitología, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
Carla
C
Muñoz-Antoli
Departamento de Parasitología, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
José-Guillermo
JG
Esteban
D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D013321:Strongyloides / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D013322:Strongyloidiasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology*; D014612:Vaccines
D014612:Vaccines
Chronic strongyloidiasis; Hyperinfection; Severe strongyloidiasis; Strongyloides fuelleborni; Strongyloides stercoralis; Strongyloidiasis