Malaria is a potentially life-threatening disease requiring rapid diagnosis and treatment. Although microscopic examination of thick and thin blood films remains the gold standard for laboratory ...diagnosis, rapid antigen tests and nucleic acid amplification methods may also play a useful role in detection of acute infection. This review discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the commonly used diagnostic methods and provides important practice points for optimal malaria test utilization.
The morphologic similarities of the microfilariae and their infrequency in clinical specimens in settings of endemicity present challenges to clinical laboratories in maintaining competence for ...accurate identification and differentiation. We present here a review of the primary filarial nematodes causing human infection, including an illustrated key, which we hope will improve the diagnostic capabilities of hematologists, microbiologists, medical technologists, and similarly qualified laboratorians.
Several psychodid flies are commonly associated with human-inhabited environments and have been increasingly implicated in cases of human myiasis. However, the basic biology of psychodid larvae is ...not well-suited for survival in the human intestinal or urogenital tract, making true, prolonged myiasis unlikely. In this review, we performed a systematic literature review of published cases of purported myiasis caused by psychodid flies, their identification, associated clinical findings, and treatment. We also discuss the anatomy and lifecycle of psychodid flies in relation to their purported ability to use human tissue as a nutritive source and survive in the human alimentary or urogenital tracts. Based on the range of non-specific and varied reported clinical manifestations, lack of observed collections, life cycle patterns of psychodid flies, the mechanics of their mouthparts, and breathing requirements, we conclude that most cases likely represent incidental findings, or in rare cases possibly pseudomyiasis, rather than true myiasis, and provide recommendations for clinical evaluation and reporting so that disease misclassification and unnecessary therapy do not occur.
, a zoonotic intraerythrocytic parasite, is the primary etiological agent of human babesiosis in the United States. Human infections range from subclinical illness to severe disease resulting in ...death, with symptoms being related to host immune status. Despite advances in our understanding and management of
, the incidence of infection in the United States has increased. Therefore, research focused on eradicating disease and optimizing clinical management is essential. Here we review this remarkable organism, with emphasis on the clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic aspects of human disease.
Acanthocephala is a phylum of parasitic pseudocoelomates that infect a wide range of vertebrate and invertebrate hosts and can cause zoonotic infections in humans. The zoologic literature is quite ...rich and diverse; however, the human-centric literature is sparse, with sporadic reports over the past 70 years. Causal agents of acanthocephaliasis in humans are reviewed as well as their biology and life cycle. This review provides the first consolidated and summarized report of human cases of acanthocephaliasis based on English language publications, including epidemiology, clinical presentation, treatment, and diagnosis and identification.
The landscape of parasitic infections in the United States has shifted dramatically over the past century. Although infections such as malaria have been successfully eliminated, others remain endemic ...and pose a significant public health risk. Numerous parasitic infections are also imported each year. This article focuses on endemic parasitic infections that may be commonly seen in anatomical pathology preparations and discusses their biology, diagnostic histopathological features, and epidemiology.
The taxonomy of medically important parasites continues to evolve. This minireview provides an update of additions and updates in the field of human parasitology from June 2020 through June 2022. A ...list of previously reported nomenclatural changes that have not been broadly adapted by the medical community is also included.
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