Last update:

   16-Jun-2006
 

Arch Hellen Med, 22(6), November-December 2005, 589-593

SHORT COMMUNICATION

An unusual case of co-existence of Hookworm with HIV infection in a patient in Greece

I. ALEXIOU,1 A. FLEMETAKIS,1 E. AVGERINOU,1 V. MOUSATOU,2 D. KALOGEROMITROS2
1Laboratory of Microbiology,
2Department of Allergiology, "A. Syngros" Hospital, Athens, Greece

The case is described of a 32 year-old HIV positive female patient who complained of gastrointestinal disorders for 3 months (diarrhea, abdominal pain, lack of appetite, vomiting) and had low blood Fe levels. The antiviral treatment for HIV was considered to be responsible for her symptoms, therefore it was discontinued. However there was no improvement in her condition and full laboratory examination was performed, including search parasites in feces by the Willis method, which revealed ova and ancylostoma of filariform larva. The patient received antihelminthic treatment which cured her gastrointestinal symptoms. Three months after the end of the treatment the blood Fe levels were found to be within normal range.

Key words: Ancylostoma duodenale, Hookworm, Necator americanus.


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