Document Detail


Strongyloides hyperinfection syndrome in British veterans.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  19208298     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Strongyloides hyperinfection syndrome is a rare but serious and often fatal complication of strongyloidiasis, usually precipitated by immune suppression (frequently caused by corticosteroidal drugs). Infections with Strongyloides stercoralis are known to occur in British veterans who served in South-east Asia during the Second World War, particularly in those held as prisoners of war by the Japanese. No information on the frequency of disseminated strongyloidiasis in these men is, however, available. A multi-source enquiry designed to detect the cases of Strongyloides hyperinfection syndrome that occurred, in the U.K., in the 60 years following the end of the Second World War was therefore initiated. The relevant data were collected from death certificates, searches of the medical literature, enquiries with veterans' organizations, and questionnaires sent to all the units of infectious and tropical disease in the U.K.. Overall, 25 cases of hyperinfection in the U.K. were detected but only two involved veterans of the Second World War (one British ex-Far East prisoner of war and a British former soldier who had been involved with the evacuation of Singapore in 1945). Although the risk of hyperinfection in veterans appears small, information from the literature and veterans' organizations indicates that there are still probably 300-400 such veterans who remain alive in Britain and have Strongyloides infections. Attempts at the detection and eradication of the infections in the surviving veterans are recommended.
Authors:
D Robson; N J Beeching; G V Gill
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Case Reports; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Annals of tropical medicine and parasitology     Volume:  103     ISSN:  0003-4983     ISO Abbreviation:  Ann Trop Med Parasitol     Publication Date:  2009 Mar 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2009-02-11     Completed Date:  2010-02-04     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  2985178R     Medline TA:  Ann Trop Med Parasitol     Country:  England    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  145-8     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Clinical Unit, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, U.K.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Aged
Chronic Disease
Far East
Fatal Outcome
Great Britain / epidemiology
Humans
Male
Prisoners
Strongyloidiasis / epidemiology*
Superinfection / epidemiology*
Veterans / statistics & numerical data*
World War II

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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