Wuchereria bancrofti: The staining of the microfilarial sheath in giemsa and haematoxyl in for diagnosis.

The article contains two specimen photographs of Microfilaria of W. bancrofti stained in giesma and destained and restained in haematoxyline showing the sheath clearly.Indigenous cases of bancroftian filariasis have recently been identified in the country for the first time. The diagnosis of such infections depends on demonstrating the characteristic sheathed microfilariae of Wuchereria bancrofti in the blood. Giemsa, a stain recommended by many authors, was found to be unsuitable as the microfilarial sheath, an important distinguishing feature, dues not take up the stain. In contrast, the sheath stains clearly in haematoxylin. The differences in the staining reaction of the microfilariae in the two stains is demonstrated. The need to establish the presence of the sheath is emphasized, especially since the microfilariae of Dipetalonema perstans, the widespread filarial infection in the country, are unsheathed.Office of Global AIDS/US Department of State

Infestation of man by the cestode in inermicapsifer madagascariensis in Lusaka, Zambia

A child with the cestode Inermicapsifer madagascariensis reported in ZambiaThe infestation of a child with the cestode Inermicapsifer madagascariensis is reported for the first time in Zambia. The criteria used in arriving at the species diagnosis are discussed. As the probable rodent reservoir hosts are widely distributed in the country, the infection in man is likely to be more common than hitherto recognized. Review of the case six months after treatment with Niclosamide(Yomesan) indicated that the chemotherapy was successful.Office of Global AIDS/US Department of Stat

Infestation of man by the cestode in inermicapsifer madagascariensis in Lusaka, Zambia

A child with the cestode Inermicapsifer madagascariensis reported in ZambiaThe infestation of a child with the cestode Inermicapsifer madagascariensis is reported for the first time in Zambia. The criteria used in arriving at the species diagnosis are discussed. As the probable rodent reservoir hosts are widely distributed in the country, the infection in man is likely to be more common than hitherto recognized. Review of the case six months after treatment with Niclosamide(Yomesan) indicated that the chemotherapy was successful.Office of Global AIDS/US Department of Stat

Cryptosporidiosis in Kuwaiti children: seasonality and endemicity

ObjectiveTo detect the incidence of cryptosporidial infection in children presenting with gastrointestinal symptoms at the local hospital in Kuwait.MethodsOver a period of 3 years, September 1995 to August 1997, a single fecal sample from 3549 children was analyzed by modified saframin-methylene blue (SM-B) staining and a direct immunofluorescence test for the presence of Cryptosporidium oocysts.ResultsCryptosporidium oocysts were detected in 51 (10%) children with diarrhea. Prevalence was highest (73%) in children >2 years of age compared with children <2 years of age. The maximum number of cases, 38 of 51 (75%), was seen during the months January to April, indicating a marked seasonal variation. Polyparasitism was common in children with diarrhea; however, 43 of the 51 (84%) children with cryptosporidiosis had cryptosporidium infection only. Blastocystis hominis and Endolimax nana were the most common parasites detected (38% and 15%, respectively). Forty-seven of the 51 (90%) children with cryptosporidiosis were Kuwaiti and gave no history of travel abroad, suggesting that the infection was acquired indigenously. Sociodemographic information on children with cryptosporidiosis suggests three possible modes of transmission of infection: drinking contaminated water stored in overhead water tanks, person to person, or contact with infected animals.ConclusionIn this study, we observed water-borne transmission of cryptosporidium infection in chidren with diarrhea. The infection is seasonal and endemic

Drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum infection in immigrants and non-immune travellers

AbstractObjective To detect the incidence of drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria infection in immigrants and travellers in non-endemic Kuwait.Methods Over a period of 3 years, July 1995 to September 1998, 1352 malaria patients were enrolled in the study. Of these, 1293 were immigrants from countries where malaria is endemic and 59 were non-immune travellers with a recent history of travel to these countries. The in vitro drug sensitivity was determined in 892 patients.Results In all, 892 of 1352 (66.0%) P. falciparum isolates were successfully cultured in vitro for drug sensitivity and 419 (47.0%) isolates showed in vitro resistance to chloroquine or mefloquine. Fifty-six (13.4%) isolates were resistant to both drugs. Chloroquine resistance was observed in >70% of the isolates from Africa and India followed by Pakistan (39.9%) and Bangladesh (35.9%). The resistance to mefloquine ranged from 26.2% in isolates from Sri Lanka to 47.5% in isolates from African countries.Conclusion The study highlights the important trend in drug resistance in P. falciparum malaria in immigrants from south-east Asian and African countries