Open AccessChronic schistosomiasis in African immigrants in Israel
Author(s) -
Yael Paran,
Ronen BenAmi,
Boris Orlev,
Ora Halutz,
Ofir Elalouf,
Asaf Wasserman,
Ofer Zimmerman,
Ido Nahmani,
Liane Rabinowich,
Talya Finn
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.59
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1536-5964
pISSN - 0025-7974
DOI - 10.1097/md.0000000000018481
Subject(s) - medicine , schistosomiasis , histopathology , schistosoma , schistosoma mansoni , pathological , serology , population , biopsy , pediatrics , pathology , helminths , immunology , environmental health , antibody
To study the clinical presentation of Chronic Schistosomiasis (CS) in immigrants from East Africa to Israel and the tests that were useful in confirming the diagnosis. A retrospective study of all medical notes pertaining to hospitalized patients who were immigrants from East Africa with a pathological or microscopic confirmation of CS. Literature review was also conducted focusing on diagnosis of schistosomiasis among immigrants from endemic countries. We identified 32 suspected and 11 confirmed cases of CS. Most of the patients (82%) presented with gastrointestinal symptoms. Sensitivity of stool smear, serology and tissue diagnosis (by histopathology or microscopy) were 14%, 100%, 89%, respectively. Patients have undergone extensive diagnostic evaluation with long hospitalization stays (median 10 days, range 4 to 33 days). CS has multiple presentations and is seen in Israel among refugees from Eritrea and Sudan. Most of the manifestations are gastrointestinal, suggestive of infection with Schistosoma mansoni (S. mansoni) . Standard diagnostic techniques used in endemic countries, such as microscopy for ova and parasites were unhelpful, necessitating more advanced procedures like colonoscopic or liver biopsy. We propose a diagnostic algorithm for CS in this patient population in order to make an accurate diagnosis and avoid unnecessary invasive procedures.