Dwarf tapeworm ( H ymenolepis nana ): Characteristics in the N orthern T erritory 2002–2013

Aim Review of dwarf tapeworm ( H ymenolepis nana ) presentations to N orthern T erritory ( NT ) Government health‐care facilities over 12 years. We postulated H . nana infections would remain unchanged despite the introduction of deworming programmes as H . nana is not eradicated with albendazole treatment. Methods A retrospective observational analysis of consecutive microbiologically confirmed cases of H . nana identified by NT Government health‐care facilities between 2002 and 2013. Results Four hundred sixty‐one episodes of H . nana infection were identified over the 12‐year period from 68 387 faecal samples. Infections were overwhelmingly in young children with a median age of patients being 3.0 years (interquartile range 2.25–4.67). Patients were predominantly I ndigenous (98.9%, P  = 0.001) and infections occurred across the entire NT . Infections were associated with anaemia (18.2%) and eosinophilia (39.6%). The annual prevalence of NT Government health‐care facility diagnosed H . nana infection remains relatively constant from 6.9 {4.8–9.0 (confidence interval ( CI ))} cases per 10 000 I ndigenous population in 2002, compared with 6.6 (4.7–8.4 CI ) cases per 10 000 I ndigenous population in 2013. Infection rates in I ndigenous children <5 years of age were: 46.1 (16.4–75.8 CI ) cases/10 000 in 2002, compared with 44.3 (15.3–73.3 CI ) cases/10 000 I ndigenous population in 2013. Conclusion H . nana is the most frequently identified cestode (tapeworm) in NT Government health‐care facilities. H . nana remains endemic throughout the NT , predominantly infecting I ndigenous children less than 5 years of age.