In total, 13 patients (median age 12, ranging from 6 to 29 y) had been exposed to schistosomiasis

when repeatedly swimming in the Muhazi Lake for up to 14 days, and presented at a mean time lapse of 78 days (range 54–96 d) from the first day of exposure to the diagnostic workup at our outpatient clinic (Table 2). Of these 13 patients, 4, all asymptomatic, had also been exposed at the same site 2 years prior, and were unaware of having been possibly infected thereafter. The remaining Selleckchem PI3K Inhibitor Library nine patients had been exposed for the first time. Of these, seven developed symptoms compatible with AS. Symptoms appeared at a median period of 55 days (range 25–93 d) from the first day of exposure, and at a median of 6 days (range 3–28 d, n = 6) before the clinical diagnosis was suspected. Reported symptoms included angio-edema (5), urticaria (1), fever (2), cough (4), abdominal pain (4), and diarrhea (3) (Table 1). Biological markers and test results are compiled in Table 2.

All 13 Cobimetinib research buy patients had a significantly elevated eosinophil count (median 2,120 µL−1; range 1,150–14,270). Eggs of S mansoni were found in a concentrated feces sample in 9/13 (69%) patients, all with low egg counts (median 20 eggs per gram; range 10–120). At least one anti-schistosome antibody test (ELISA and/or HAI) was positive in 10/13 (77%) patients. When combined with fecal microscopy results, schistosomiasis was demonstrated in 11/13 (85%) patients. Schistosome-specific DNA was detected in serum by real-time PCR in all 13/13 (100%) exposed persons within the preset maximum of 45 cycles (median Rapamycin supplier Ct value of 30; range 27–36). Five weeks after the first treatment with praziquantel, 12/13 patients presented at a post-treatment visit. Eosinophil count was significantly lower (median 835 µL−1; range 290–1,960 vs median 2,120 µL−1; range 1,150–14,270; n = 12, p < 0.001) and egg count was negative in all five patients who submitted a sample and

in whose feces eggs were detected before treatment. Anti-schistosome antibodies were still undetectable in 3/12 (25%) follow-up samples, while schistosome DNA remained detectable in all 12/12 (100%) cases tested at slightly lower Ct values, although the difference was not statistically significant (median 28.5; range 23–35 vs median 30; range 27–36; n = 12, p = ns) (Table 2). Following treatment with the first single dose of praziquantel, three of the nine patients with primary infection (all three with symptoms of AS before treatment) developed high grade fever (above 38.5°C). Fever subsided promptly after administration of a single dose of 16 mg methylprednisolone given the next day, and did not reappear thereafter. Two patients had only mild and transient abdominal pain that did not require additional treatment. None of the patients experienced any symptoms after the second dose of praziquantel given at the follow-up visit 5 weeks later.