Eosinophilic Meningoencephalitis Mimicking Acute Gastroenteritis in the Early Stage

Abstract

Eosinophilic meningoencephalitis (EME) can be caused by a variety of microorganisms. In South East Asian and Pacific regions, ＂Angiostrongylus cantonensis＂ (A. cantonensis) is the most common cause of EME. People can be infected by ingestion of an infected intermediate host, such as raw mollusks. The most common clinical presentation in infants and young children are fever, vomiting, headache, anorexia, neck stiffness, weakness of extremities, irritability, paresthesia, convulsion, and consciousness change. Sometimes only abdominal pain, diarrhea, and nausea are present, especially in the early stage of the disease. The clinical doctor may consider easily and treat the patient as acute gastroenteritis and may delay the diagnosis and treatment with the disease. Travel and diet history should be taken before a doctor acknowledged that the patient had suspicious contact to contaminated food or water. If the patient with acute gastroenteritis has come back from Southeast Asia or has eaten raw or semi-cooked food contaminated by snails, their peripheral blood eosinophils should be checked.