Marialetizia Fioravanti

Human dirofilariosis in Hungary: an emerging zoonosis in central Europe

ZusammenfassungEINLEITUNG: In den gemäßigten Regionen Europas, vorwiegend in Italien, Frankreich und Griechenland, und in den letzten Jahren auch in Ungarn, führte ein spezieller Wurm, die Dirofilaria (Nochtiella) repens, zu Infektionen beim Menschen und verursacht eine autochthone humane Dirofiariose. D. repens ist ein Parasit von Hunden, Katzen und einigen anderen Raubtieren, und wird durch Mücken übertragen. Wir berichten über einen weiteren Fall und fassen die bisher in Ungarn beobachteten Fälle zusammen. PATIENTEN UND METHODEN: Die Autoren präsentieren einen Fall einer humanen Dirofilariose bei einem 56-jährigen Patienten mit Jucken und brennendem Gefühl in seinem rechtem Auge. Ein sich langsam bewegender, weißlicher, Zwirn-ähnlicher Wurm wurde durch Spaltlampenuntersuchung entdeckt. Die parasitologische Untersuchung identifizierte ihn als junge männliche Dirofilaria repens. Eine aktualisierte Übersicht über die ungarischen Fälle von 1880–2002 wird vorgestellt und zusätzlich 16 neuen Fälle analysiert, die in der Periode von 2001 zu 2006 diagnostiziert wurden. Das Durchschnittsalter dieser 16 neuen Patienten war 60 Jahre, acht Patienten hatten eine okulare, sieben eine subkutane Lokalisation. Bei einem Patienten mit akuter lymphatischer Leukämie wurde histopatologisch aus einem axillärem Lymphknoten diagnostiziert. Keiner der Patienten hatte sich im Ausland aufgehalten. KONKLUSION: Die Mehrheit der in Urgarn beobachteten Fälle von Dirofilariasis muss als autochthon aquiriert angesehen werden. Die zunehmende Zahl an diagnostizierten Fällen spricht dafür, dass diese Zoonose auch in Zentraleuropa Verbreitung erlangt.SummaryINTRODUCTION: In the temperate regions of Europe, mainly Italy, France, Greece, and in recent years Hungary, a specific filarioid worm, Dirofilaria (Nochtiella) repens, a parasite of dogs, cats and some other carnivores, transmitted by mosquitoes, has occasionally been contracted, causing dirofilariosis in humans. We report a case of dirofilariosis and review all previously observed cases in Hungary. MATERIALS, METHODS AND RESULTS: The authors present a case of human subconjunctival dirofilariosis in a 56-year-old man with mild itching and a burning sensation in his right eye. A slow-moving, whitish, thread-like worm was detected by slit-lamp examination. The worm was surgically removed and parasitological examination identified it as an immature male Dirofilaria repens. A review of Hungarian cases from 1880 to 2000 is presented, with updates of earlier reports. In addition, 16 new cases (8 men; 8 women) diagnosed between 2001 and 2006 are reviewed. The mean age of these 16 patients was 60 years; eight cases had ocular localization, seven were subcutaneous and one was diagnosed in a histopathological section of removed axillary lymph node in a patient with lymphoid leukemia. Twelve of the 16 identified Dirofilariae were females, four were males. According to their recorded histories the patients had not traveled internationally. CONCLUSION: Most of the above cases of dirofilariosis are certainly autochthonous infections. The increasing number of diagnosed cases suggests that this zoonosis is becoming more important in central Europe and that the incidence may increase with the improvement of clinical diagnosis.

Sand flea (Tunga spp.) infections in humans and domestic animals: state of the art

Tungiasis is a parasitic disease of humans and animals caused by fleas (Siphonaptera) belonging to the genus Tunga. Two species, Tunga penetrans (L.) and Tunga trimamillata, out of 10 described to date, are known to affect man or domestic animals; the other eight are exclusive to a few species of wild mammals. Tunga penetrans and T. trimamillata originated from Latin America, although the first species is also found in sub‐Saharan Africa (between 20° N and 25° S). Hundreds of millions of people are at risk of infection in more than 70 nations, mostly in developing countries. The second species has been reported only in Ecuador and Peru. Males and non‐fertilized females of Tunga are haematophagous ectoparasites; pregnant females penetrate the skin where, following dilatation of the abdomen, they increase enormously in size (neosomy) and cause inflammatory and ulcerative processes of varying severity. The importance of Tunga infection in humans concerns its frequent localization in the foot, which sometimes causes very serious difficulty in walking, thereby reducing the subjects ability to work and necessitating medical and surgical intervention. Tungiasis in domestic animals can be responsible for economic losses resulting from flea‐induced lesions and secondary infections. Because tungiasis represents a serious problem for tropical public health and because of the recent description of a new species (Tunga trimamillata), it seems appropriate to review current knowledge of the morphology, molecular taxonomy, epidemiology, pathology, treatment and control of sand fleas of the genus Tunga.

Occurrence of Mycobacterium spp. in ornamental fish in Italy

The occurrence of Mycobacterium spp. in freshwater and marine ornamental fish was studied in Italy from June 2002 to May 2005. Two surveys were carried out, one of aquarium fish sent to the Laboratory for diagnosis, and the other of prevalence of infection by mycobacteria in ornamental fish imported into Italy. Bacterial isolation was carried out from the spleen, kidney and liver, and the isolates were subsequently identified by biochemical tests. In the first survey, 387 fish were examined and Mycobacterium spp. were isolated from 181 (46.8%) fish. In the second survey 127 batches of ornamental fish from different countries were examined. Mycobacterium spp. were isolated from 38 (29.9%) batches. The following species were found: M. fortuitum, M. peregrinum, M. chelonae, M. abscessus, M. marinum, M. gordonae, M. nonchromogenicum and M. interjectum. There was a high prevalence of infection independent of the presence of macroscopic lesions. Mycobacterium fortuitum and M. chelonae were more prevalent than M. marinum in the samples examined.