SARCOSPORIDIOSIS - MEDICAL IMPORTANCE AND DIAGNOSIS

Sarcosporidiosis (Sarcocystis infection) is caused by an intracellular protozoan parasite that predominantly affects animals. It can rarely be found in human skeletal and cardiac muscle in humans. There are two different forms of sarcosporidiosis in humans. These cases of muscular sarcocystosis were probably zoonotic in origin and associated with close contact with definitive hosts (both domestic and wild animals) thus permitting the contamination of food and drink with sporocystis shed by these definitive hosts. The second mode of infection for humans is ingested animal tissues which containing sporozoites (e.g., undercooked meats). These sporozoited directly intestinal epithelial cells and can enter the circulation in an manner similiar to those released from oocysts from the intermediate or accidental host

Peri - Orbital human dirofilariosis: A pitfall for experimental ELISA

The dog nematodes Dirofilaria immitis (D. immitis) and D. repens, well known as zoonotic agents, can infect humans in whom they usually produce abortive infections or immature worms. Dirofilarioses, asymptomatic in most patients and suspected only when the worm reaches surface locations or imaging detects coin lesions, are under-diagnosed because both physicians do not consider this aetiology and the human immune response blocks the worm development at early larval stages, difficult to be located. The identification of the infecting species is based on morphological/genetical study of surgically removed specimens. Serology should be an alternative to the invasive methods, also useful to detect hidden infections; nevertheless, at present, there are no commercial kits to specifically diagnose human dirofilarioses. The aim of the study was to test the sensitivity of experimental serological assays in a case of peri-ocular dirofilariosis caused by D. repens, which had been identified by morphology and molecular methods (PCR). Serological investigations included two serum samples, one before surgery intervention and the other one six months after extirpating the worm. Specific antibodies against both somatic/metabolic antigens of D. repens and D. immitis adult specimens, and against antigens of the filarial endosymbionts belonging to the genus Wolbachia were evaluated. Sera were submitted to experimental enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) protocols, and to an ELISA commercial kit available to diagnose human tropical filarioses. Diagnostic significant titres of specific antibodies by any applied test were not found. As suspected, peri-ocular case of human infection due to D. repens proved a pitfall for serology, even if immunodiagnostic tests are designed with a wide range of antigens that are released by the worm, starting from its penetration in the human host

FIRST CASE OF VISCERAL LEISHMANIOSIS/HIV COINFECTION IN NIS - SOUTHEASTERN SERBIA

Visceral leishmaniosis (VL) has emerged as an important opportunistic parasitosis associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The aim of this paper is to report the first case of Leishmania/HIV coinfection in a patient from Nis (Southeastern Serbia). Microscopical examination of Giemsa-stained bone marrow (BM) smears show the presence of Leishmania spp. amastigotes based on their morphological characteristics. In spite of the parasitological finding, the serological test applied gave negative results. Molecular analyses confirmed the infection and allowed us to identify the leishmania species as Leishmania infantum (100% identity). VL/HIV coinfection has important clinical, diagnostic and epidemiological implications. In fact, the failure of serological tests is expected in this condition, and the application of molecular diagnostics to the blood may offer, apart from an easy and non-invasive diagnostic opportunity, the possibility of warning about the risk of possible nosocomial infections