An unexpected case report of Ascaris lumbricoides in pregnant woman

Soil-transmitted helminths, primarily Ascaris, Trichuris and hookworm, infect more than 760 million people worldwide. Parasitic diseases represent a social and economic problem in developing countries. Herein, we present a case of ascariasis in a pregnant woman, who was treated with mebendazole for three days without teratogenic effects. It is emphasized the need not to underestimate helminth infections in developed countries and how rapid notification is needed in order to quickly establish a guided therapy especially in pregnant women

An unusual case of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa fungaemia in a cancer patient

Rhodotorula is emerging as a relevant cause of nosocomial and opportunistic infections. Herein, we present a case of fungaemia due to Rhodotorula mucilaginosa in a cancer patient with lumbosacral stimulator for herniated disc with unfavourable outcome. The patient was hospitalized for twenty days during which he underwent various diagnostic tests before discovering the presence of colon cancer. At day 16 of hospitalization, a bloodstream infection due to R. mucilaginosa with an antimycogram profile resistant to fluconazole occurred. It is emphasized the need for the rapid and correct identification of R. mucilaginosa in order to set up as fast as possible a pathogen driven therapy, in particular in the immunocompromised subjects

Strongyloides stercoralis: an example of unusual finding of larvae in urinary sediment

This report deals with the unusual finding of S. stercoralis in a urine sample. For the standard examination of urines our laboratory employs an automated system suited to determining chemical and physical parameters (Clinitek® Atlas™) as well as morphological parameters (Sysmex UF100 flow cytometer™). Samples showing inconsistencies between the two systems, the clinically significant or the unusual ones, need to be explained by analyzing the sediments after centrifugation. In June 2009 a urine sample from a girl approximately two-years-old appeared cloudy, and presented bacteriuria, proteinuria, and cylindruria. Microscopic examination indicated definite signs of faecal contamination by larvae of S. stercoralis, so that the sample was not suitable for further analysis.Additional data revealed the presence of hematological eosinophilia, while the parasitological stool examination confirmed the infestation. The physician, who was immediately informed, reported that the patient, originally from India, had recently been adopted and for this reason was submitted to the prescribed clinical screening.The relevance of this unexpected finding is that important clinical information can be retrieved even from materials not properly collected. By the present finding it is prudent to be wary of underestimating biological samples: sometimes one can get important, albeit unanticipated, clinical observations

Group A rotavirus surveillance before vaccine introduction in Italy, September 2014 to August 2017

IntroductionGroup A rotaviruses (RVA) are the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in young children, causing ca 250,000 deaths worldwide, mainly in low-income countries. Two proteins, VP7 (glycoprotein, G genotype) and VP4 (protease-sensitive protein, P genotype), are the basis for the binary RVA nomenclature. Although 36 G types and 51 P types are presently known, most RVA infections in humans worldwide are related to five G/P combinations: G1P[8], G2P[4], G3P[8], G4P[8], G9P[8].AimThis study aimed to characterise the RVA strains circulating in Italy in the pre-vaccination era, to define the trends of circulation of genotypes in the Italian paediatric population.MethodsBetween September 2014 and August 2017, after routine screening in hospital by commercial antigen detection kit, 2,202 rotavirus-positive samples were collected in Italy from children hospitalised with AGE; the viruses were genotyped following standard European protocols.ResultsThis 3-year study revealed an overall predominance of the G12P[8] genotype (544 of 2,202 cases; 24.70%), followed by G9P[8] (535/2,202; 24.30%), G1P[8] (459/2,202; 20.84%) and G4P[8] (371/2,202; 16.85%). G2P[4] and G3P[8] genotypes were detected at low rates (3.32% and 3.09%, respectively). Mixed infections accounted for 6.49% of cases (143/2,202), uncommon RVA strains for 0.41% of cases (9/2,202).ConclusionsThe emergence of G12P[8] rotavirus in Italy, as in other countries, marks this genotype as the sixth most common human genotype. Continuous surveillance of RVA strains and monitoring of circulating genotypes are important for a better understanding of rotavirus evolution and genotype distribution, particularly regarding strains that may emerge from reassortment events