Clinical Aspects of Uncomplicated and Severe Malaria

The first symptoms of malaria, common to all the different malaria species, are nonspecific and mimic a flu-like syndrome. Although fever represents the cardinal feature, clinical findings in malaria are extremely diverse and may range in severity from mild headache to serious complications leading to death, particularly in falciparum malaria. As the progression to these complications can be rapid, any malaria patient must be assessed and treated rapidly, and frequent observations are needed to look for early signs of systemic complications

Zika Virus: a Review from the Virus Basics to Proposed Management Strategies

This review aims to summarize the body of knowledge available on Zika virus to date. A comprehensive review of the scientific literature on Zika virus was performed with the aim to stress relevant aspects for healthcare professionals in the non-endemic areas. For several years, the Zika virus infection was considered an extremely rare exotic disease with poor clinical relevance. However, Zika virus has recently gained the attention of the scientific community and public opinion since the virus spread to the Pacific islands and the South America in an unprecedented epidemic, and additionally due to the definitive evidence that the infection could be complicated by Guillain-Barré syndrome, passed through vertical transmission, and result in central nervous system abnormalities (including microcephaly) of the fetus. Studies and scientific evidence on the complications associated with Zika virus infection are growing day by day. It is advisable that the healthcare professionals working in non-endemic areas maintain full awareness on this issue in order to practice proper management of the imported cases of Zika virus infection

Tuberculosis in tropical areas and immigrants.

About 95% of cases and 98% of deaths due to tuberculosis (TB) occurs in tropical countries while in temperate low incidence countries, a disproportionate portion of TB cases is diagnosed in immigrants. Urbanization, poverty, poor housing conditions and ventilation, poor nutritional status, low education level, the HIV co-epidemic, the growing impact of chronic conditions such as diabetes are the main determinants of the current TB epidemiology in tropical areas. TB care in these contests is complicated by several barriers such as geographical accessibility, educational, cultural, socio-psychological and gender issues. High quality microbiological and radiological facilities are not widely available and erratic supply of anti-TB drugs may affects tropical areas from time to time. Nevertheless in recent years, TB control programs reached major achievements in tropical countries as demonstrated by several indicators. Migrants have an high risk of acquire TB before migration. Moreover, after migration, they are exposed to additional risk factors for acquiring new infection or reactivate it such as poverty, stressful living conditions, social inequalities, overcrowded housing, malnutrition, substance abuse, and limited access to health care. TB mass screening programs for migrants have been implemented in low endemic countries, but present several limitations. Screening programs should not represent a stand-alone intervention, but a component of a wider approach integrated with other healthcare activities to ensure the health of migrants

Unusual Methylobacterium fujisawaense Infection in a Patient with Acute Leukaemia Undergoing Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: First Case Report

Microorganisms of the genus Methylobacterium are facultative methylotrophic, gram-negative rods that are ubiquitous in nature and rarely cause human disease, mostly in subjects with preexisting causes of immune depression. Methylobacterium fujisawaense, first proposed as a new species in 1988, has never been reported as a bacterial agent of human infections so far. Here we describe a case of M. fujisawaense infection in a relapsed acute leukaemia undergoing unrelated allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Molecular identification of an M. fujisawaense strain was obtained from multiple mycobacterial blood cultures

Canine Trypanosoma cruzi infection in the Bolivian Chaco

A cross-sectional study on Trypanosoma cruzi was carried out in 2013 to evaluate the role of dogs as possible source of infection for humans in two rural communities of the highly endemic Bolivian Chaco (Bartolo, Chuquisaca Department, n = 57 dogs; and Ivamirapinta, Santa Cruz Department, n = 48 dogs). Giemsa-stained thick and thin smears, rapid immunochromatographic test (ICT) (Chagas Quick test, Cypress Diagnostic, Belgium) and polymerase chain reaction for T. cruzi on dried blood spots were performed. All smears proved negative by microscopic examination, whereas 23/103 (22%) were positive by ICT and 5/105 (5%) blood samples contained T. cruzi DNA, evidencing the potential role of dogs in the domestic transmission of the parasite

Rickettsia africae infection complicated with painful sacral syndrome in an Italian traveller returning from Zimbabwe

We report a case of Rickettsia africae infection complicated with painful sacral syndrome in an Italian traveller returning from Zimbabwe. The patient presented with fever, a tache noire on the left leg, and a neurological syndrome characterized by severe pain of the left leg, predominantly located in the left dorsal thigh and radiating to the calf; she had urinary retention and faecal incontinence. The diagnosis of R. africae was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction on a skin biopsy. The severe left leg pain persisted despite a complete course of doxycycline. A 4-month course of corticosteroids and the addition of carbamazepine was needed to achieve the control of pain. This case highlights the possibility of severe manifestations of R. africae infection and the possibility of a complex pathogenesis of the neurological syndrome, due perhaps to both the direct damage induced by R. africae and an immune-mediated mechanism

Strategies for management of strongyloidiasis in migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa recently arrived in Italy: A cost-effectiveness analysis

Abstract Background The Italian and the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines both recommend a systematic serological screening for strongyloidiasis in sub-Saharan migrants (SSA), however, studies on clinical and economic impact of this strategy in the Italian and European settings are lacking. Methods A population of 100,000 migrants from SSA to Italy was considered and a Markov decision tree model was developed to assess the clinical and economic impact of two interventions for strongyloidiasis compared with the current practice (passive diagnosis of symptomatic cases): a) universal serological screening and treatment with ivermectin in case of positive test b) universal presumptive treatment with ivermectin. One and 10-year time horizon in the health-care perspective were considered. Results In the one and 10-year time horizon respectively the costs for passive diagnosis was €1,164,169 and €9,735,908, those for screening option was € 2,856,011 and € 4,959,638 and those for presumptive treatment was €3,538,474 and € 4,883,272. Considering the cost per cured subject in the one-year time horizon, screening appears more favorable (€209.53), than the other two options (€232.55 per presumptive treatment and €10,197.29 per current strategy). Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICERs) of screening strategy and presumptive treatment were respectively 265.27 and 333.19. The sensitivity analysis identified strongyloidiasis' prevalence as the main driver of ICER. Conclusions Compared to the current practice (passive diagnosis) both screening and presumptive treatment strategies are more favorable from a cost-effectiveness point of view, with a slight advantage of the screening strategy in a one-year time horizon

Human oestriasis acquired in Florence and review on human myiasis in Italy

Myiases-causing flies are widely observed in tropical countries, whereas in Italy, a temperate country, their epidemiology and clinical presentation are poorly known. We report three cases of human conjunctival myiasis recently observed at our hospital, and the results of a review of the literature on human myiasis in Italy. In August 2012, a case of Oestrus ovis conjunctival myiasis acquired in the city centre of Florence, Italy was diagnosed at our hospital. In the early fall of 2013, two additional cases, acquired in the neighbouring areas, occurred. The review of literature showed that, up to the middle of 1990s, myiasis in Italy was mainly an occupational disease of shepherds, caused by O. ovis. Recently, cases of travel acquired furuncular myiasis emerged, together with “opportunistic” autochthonous cases of wound myiasis in patients with underlying health conditions. Considering the causative agents of human of myiasis in Italy, among the 703 autochthonous cases reported, 98.1 % were caused by O. ovis, while among the 42 imported cases described, 59.5 % were due to Cordylobia spp. and 40.5 % to Dermatobia hominis. Our findings suggest that O. ovis conjunctival myiasis may still be observed in urban setting in Italy. Health care providers should know and implement the basic rules of entomoprophylaxis for myiasis in the facilities where they are working and use these indications to educate patients and care givers in both pretravel care and geriatric outpatient settings. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00436-014-3906-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users