Human Strongyloidiasis: a forgotten disease, an ongoing problema

Abstract

Strongyloidiasis is an infection in the upper small intestine that, in most immunocompetent hosts, occurs asymptomatically. It is estimated that this parasite affects 100 million people living in 70 countries around the world, with highest prevalence in tropical and sub-tropical regions. One characteristic of the Strongyloides stercoralis parasite is its ability to develop cycles of auto-infection, with the possibility of evolving to chronic infection in immunocompetent hosts. However, in immunocompromised hosts (mainly transplanted patients and those infected by human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1), it can lead to a potentially fatal hyperinfection syndrome. Taking into account the increasing number of solid organ transplants in Colombia and the lack of diagnostic validity offered by the parasitological analysis tools available in this setting, which are used in the routine search for intestinal parasites in pre-transplant protocols or those prior to immunosuppressor therapy, a quick and precise diagnosis in these high-risk patients is necessary. This topic review calls for medical personnel to be informed in the regional and national sanitary conditions regarding strongyloidiasis as an opportunistic parasitosis that should be taken into account in clinical diagnosis and which is associated to mortality in the cases of hyperinfection by S. stercoralis in immunocompromised patients, particularly when not diagnosed and treated in a timely manner.