[Outbreak of schistosomiasis in a group a travellers returning from Burkina Faso].

BACKGROUND

Schistosomiasis in Spain is always an imported disease mainly presented in travellers from endemic areas with a history of having bathed in fresh water and in immigrants from these areas. A group of travellers presenting infection by schistosomes following an 8-day journey to Burkina Faso.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The travellers, residents of Gran Canaria (Spain), who had bathed in fresh water were studied by schistosomiasis serology and parasitologic examination in stools and urine.

RESULTS

A total of 29 travellers were studied, 20 (69%) of whom were considered to be infected, on presenting positive serology and/or coproparasitologic examination. Fourteen of the infected patients presented clinical symptomatology compatible with the Katayama syndrome, while 6 were asymptomatic. The mean time to appearance of the symptoms was 27 days and these were most frequently fever, headache, neck pain, diarrhea and arthromyalgia together with eosinophilia achieving a mean value of 3,513 eosinophils/microliter. All the infected travellers presented positive serology and in 5 eggs of a Schistosoma mansoni were observed in stools. All the infected patients were treated with praziquantel.

CONCLUSIONS

Limited exposure by bathing in fresh water in this group of travellers led to a high rate of infection. The diagnosis of schistosomiasis should be considered in any traveller from an endemic area with a history of having bathed in fresh water. In the case of an outbreak, investigation of all the travellers who had bathed is recommendable given that the infection may be asymptomatic.