OBJECTIVES: Dientamoeba fragilis is a pathogenic protozoan of the human gastrointestinal tract with a worldwide distribution, which has emerged as an important and misdiagnosed cause of chronic gastrointestinal illnesses such as diarrhea and 'irritable-bowel-like' gastrointestinal disease. Very little research has been conducted on the use of suitable antimicrobial compounds. Furthermore, higher rates of co-infection with Enterobius vermicularis have been described, suggesting that E. vermicularis could influence the treatment of D. fragilis-infected patients. To study this, the treatment of E. vermicularis and D. fragilis co-infected patients was evaluated. METHODS: Forty-nine patients with a D. fragilis infection, including 25 (51.0%) patients co-infected with E. vermicularis, were studied. All of them were treated with metronidazole. Patients with E. vermicularis co-infection and/or an E. vermicularis-positive case in the family were treated with mebendazole. RESULTS: Metronidazole treatment failure was significantly more frequent in patients with E. vermicularis co-infection and in patients with children in the family. CONCLUSIONS: Co-infection with E. vermicularis may act as a factor favoring D. fragilis infection by preventing eradication measures. This suggests that both parasites should be treated simultaneously.
OBJECTIVES:Dientamoeba fragilis is a pathogenic protozoan of the humangastrointestinal tract with a worldwide distribution, which has emerged as an important and misdiagnosed cause of chronic gastrointestinal illnesses such as diarrhea and 'irritable-bowel-like' gastrointestinal disease. Very little research has been conducted on the use of suitable antimicrobial compounds. Furthermore, higher rates of co-infection with Enterobius vermicularis have been described, suggesting that E. vermicularis could influence the treatment of D. fragilis-infectedpatients. To study this, the treatment of E. vermicularis and D. fragilis co-infected patients was evaluated. METHODS: Forty-nine patients with a D. fragilis infection, including 25 (51.0%) patients co-infected with E. vermicularis, were studied. All of them were treated with metronidazole. Patients with E. vermicularis co-infection and/or an E. vermicularis-positive case in the family were treated with mebendazole. RESULTS:Metronidazole treatment failure was significantly more frequent in patients with E. vermicularis co-infection and in patients with children in the family. CONCLUSIONS: Co-infection with E. vermicularis may act as a factor favoring D. fragilis infection by preventing eradication measures. This suggests that both parasites should be treated simultaneously.
Authors: Lucía Miguel; Fernando Salvador; Elena Sulleiro; Adrián Sánchez-Montalvá; Daniel Molina-Morant; Isabel López; Israel Molina Journal: Am J Trop Med Hyg Date: 2018-11 Impact factor: 2.345
Authors: Ander Burgaña; Rosa Abellana; Stanislav Zlatanov Yordanov; Rabee Kazan; A Mauricio Pérez Ortiz; Cristina Castillo Ramos; Christian Garavito Hernández; Miriam Molina Rivero; Alessandra Queiroga Gonçalves; Emma Padilla; Josefa Pérez; Roger García-Puig; Tomas M Perez-Porcuna Journal: Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist Date: 2019-11-11 Impact factor: 4.077