Longitudinal clinical and serological survey of abdominal angiostrongyliasis in Guaporé, southern Brazil, from 1995 to 1999

Carlos Graeff-Teixeira,Antonio Carlo Laitano,Fernanda Teixeira Dos Santos Oliveira,Alessandra Morassutti,Ana Cristina Aramburu Da Silva,Charlotte Sievers-Tostes,Cinara Tentardini Garrido,Charles De Ornellas Brum,Rafael Lucyk Maurer,Aventino Alfredo Agostini,Luís Felipe Aguiar,Graziela Maria Zanini,Hartwig Schulz-Key,Elizabeth Abrahms-Sandi,Patrícia Leão Bered,Stefan Geiger,Rubens Rodriguez,Aline Hamilton Goulart

doi:10.1590/s0037-86822005000400006

Abstract

Abdominal angiostrongyliasis is a zoonotic infection caused by Angiostrongylus costaricensis, a nematode with an intra-vascular location in the mesentery. Our objective was to address several aspects of the natural history of this parasitosis, in a longitudinal clinical and seroepidemiological study. A total of 179 individuals living in a rural area with active transmission in southern Brazil were followed for five years (1995-1999) resulting in yearly prevalence of 28.2%, 4.2%, 10%, 20.2% and 2.8% and incidences of 0%, 5.9%, 8% and 1.5%, respectively. Both men and woman were affected with higher frequencies at age 30-49 years. In 32 individuals serum samples were collected at all time points and IgG antibody reactivity detected by ELISA was variable and usually persisting not longer than one year. Some individual antibody patterns were suggestive of re-infection. There was no association with occurrence of abdominal pain or of other enteroparasites and there was no individual with a confirmed (histopathologic) diagnosis. Mollusks were found with infective third-stage larvae in some houses with an overall prevalence of 16% and a low parasitic burden. In conclusion, abdominal angiostrongyliasis in southern Brazil may be a frequent infection with low morbidity and a gradually decreasing serological reactivity.

Highlights

Abdominal angiostrongyliasis is a zoonotic infection caused by Angiostrongylus costaricensis, a nematode with an intravascular location in the mesentery
In 1995, a 41-year-old woman was diagnosed with abdominal angiostrongyliasis, living in a rural area of southern Brazil
Prevalence of antibodies against A. costaricensis antigen ranged from 2.8% to 28 % and incidence from 0% to 8%, with the distribution shown in

Summary

Introduction

Abdominal angiostrongyliasis is a zoonotic infection caused by Angiostrongylus costaricensis, a nematode with an intravascular location in the mesentery. A total of 179 individuals living in a rural area with active transmission in southern Brazil were followed for five years (1995-1999) resulting in yearly prevalence of 28.2%, 4.2%, 10%, 20.2% and 2.8% and incidences of 0%, 5.9%, 8% and 1.5%, respectively. Both men and woman were affected with higher frequencies at age 30-49 years. Abdominal angiostrongyliasis in southern Brazil may be a frequent infection with low morbidity and a gradually decreasing serological reactivity. A angiostrongilíase abdominal no sul do Brasil pode ser uma infecção frequente, porém com baixa morbidade e reatividade sorológica de gradual declínio. That was the opportunity for attempting a first description of the natural history of this parasitosis, in a population-based longitudinal study

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Conclusion