Pulmonary localization of Mansonella perstans in a 16 months-old male patient in a tertiary care hospital in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo

Abstract

Mansonella perstans is a human filarial parasite transmitted by biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) belonging to the genus Culicoides and it is widely spread in sub-Saharan Africa. While most cases are asymptomatic, mansonelliasis can be associated with angioedema, arthralgia, swellings, pain in the scrotum or in serous cavities such as the pleura, the peritoneum, the pericardium, etc. Mansonelliasis can be really hard to treat, but it has been shown that an intensive treatment using albendazole can clear the parasite. Here we describe a case of a 16 months-old malnourished child with pneumonia due to M. perstans in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Although our investigations confirmed M. perstans infection, this case shows that it is very difficult to come to a conclusive diagnosis.