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Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 79(5), 2008, pp. 735-738
Copyright © 2008 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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Right arrow Capillariasis

CASE REPORT


Three Cases of Intestinal Capillariasis in Lao People’s Democratic Republic

Phonepasong Soukhathammavong, Somphou Sayasone, Aina Nirina Harimanana, Aphonethip Akkhavong, Sivilay Thammasack, Niranh Phoumindr, Khamloun Choumlivong, Khamla Choumlivong, Valy Keoluangkhot, Simmaly Phongmany, Kongsap Akkhavong, Christoph Hatz, Michel Strobel, AND Peter Odermatt*
Swiss Tropical Institute, Basel, Switzerland; National Institute of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic; Institut de la Francophonie pour la Médicine Tropicale, Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic; Department of Internal Medicine, Setthathirath Hospital, Ministry of Health, Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic; Department of Infectious Medicine, Mahosot Hospital, Ministry of Health, Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic; Department of Parasitology, University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic

 

ABSTRACT

Capillaria philippinensis is a rare zoonotic intestinal parasite that emerged in the 1960s. The outcome of intestinal capillariasis may be fatal if untreated in due time. We report three cases of intestinal capillariasis in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). The three patients were unrelated previously healthy young men (24, 26, and 27 years of age) with no underlying disease or immune depression. They had chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain, edema, and severe weight loss. Two of them acquired the infection in Thailand; the other patient had no travel history outside Lao PDR. All patients were seen several times in different hospitals before the diagnosis was made. All had concurrent parasite infections: Giardia lamblia, Entamoeba histolytica, Strongyloides stercoralis, Opisthorchis viverrini, and hookworm. The patients frequently consumed uncooked fish. After treatment with albendazole (400 mg/day for 21–30 days) all patients recovered. In Lao PDR, consumption of raw small freshwater fish is common. Therefore, the possibility of a capillariasis outbreak should be considered.

Received April 5, 2008. Accepted for publication June 25, 2008.

Acknowledgments: We thank the patients, and doctors, laboratory staff, and infectious ward staff at Setthathirath Hospital, Mahosot Hospital, Savannakhet Provincial Hospital, and the Department of Parasitology, University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Lao PDR, for their participation in the study.

Financial support: This study was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (project no. NF3270B0-110020), the Canton of Basel-Stadt, Switzerland, and the Institut de la Francophonie pour la Médecine Tropicale, Vientiane, Lao PDR.

* Address correspondence to Peter Odermatt, Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Swiss Tropical Institute, PO Box, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland. E-mail: peter.odermatt{at}unibas.ch

Authors’ addresses: Phonepasong Soukhathammavong and Somphou Sayasone, National Institute of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Vientiane, Lao PDR and Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Swiss Tropical Institute, Basel, Switzerland. Aina Nirina Harimanana, Aphonethip Akkhavong, and Michel Strobel, Institut de la Francophonie pour la Médecine Tropicale, Vientiane, Lao PDR. Sivilay Thammasack and Simmaly Phongmany, Department of Infectious Medicine, Mahosot Hospital, Ministry of Health, Vientiane, Lao PDR. Niranh Phoumindr, Department of Parasitology, University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Lao PDR. Khamloun Choumlivong and Khamla Choumlivong, Department of Internal Medicine, Setthathirath Hospital, Ministry of Health, Vientiane, Lao PDR. Valy Keoluangkhot, Department of Infectious Medicine, Mahosot Hospital, Ministry of Health, Vientiane, Lao PDR and Institut de la Francophonie pour la Médecine Tropicale, Vientiane, Lao PDR. Kongsap Akkhavong, National Institute of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Vientiane, Lao PDR. Christoph Hatz and Peter Odermatt, Swiss Tropical Institute, Basel, Switzerland.

Reprint requests: Peter Odermatt, Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Swiss Tropical Institute, PO Box, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland, Tel: 41-61-284-8214, Fax: 41-61-284-8105, E-mail: peter.odermatt{at}unibas.ch.






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