New England souvenirs.

A 54-year-old woman presented with 2 weeks of fever after a trip to the Northeastern United States. Except for an erythematous skin lesion on her right shoulder, no physical abnormality was detected. We diagnosed concomitant borreliosis and babesiosis.

Prospective multicenter evaluation of the expert system "KABISA TRAVEL" in diagnosing febrile illnesses occurring after a stay in the tropics.

Background: KABISA TRAVEL is a clinical decision support system developed by the Institute of Tropical Medicine of Antwerp, Belgium, for the diagnosis of febrile illnesses after a stay in the tropics. This study aimed to compare the diagnostic accuracy of KABISA TRAVEL with that of expert travel physicians.

Methods: From December 2007 to April 2009, travelers with fever after a stay in the tropics were included in a multicenter trial conducted in travel referral centers in the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Belgium.

Declining incidence of imported malaria in the Netherlands, 2000-2007.

Background: To describe the epidemiology and trends of imported malaria in the Netherlands from 2000 through 2007.

Methods: Based on national surveillance data regarding all reported infections of imported malaria, diagnosed 2000 through 2007, incidence and trends of imported malaria in the Netherlands were estimated. Travellers statistics were used to estimate incidence, and data on malaria chemoprophylaxis prescriptions were used to estimate the number of unprotected travellers.

Use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and dipstick assay for detection of Strongyloides stercoralis infection in humans.

A homemade enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (Academic Medical Center ELISA [AMC-ELISA]) and a dipstick assay for the detection of anti-Strongyloides stercoralis antibodies in serum were developed and evaluated together with two commercially available ELISAs (IVD-ELISA [IVD Research, Inc.] and Bordier-ELISA [Bordier Affinity Products SA]) for their use in the serodiagnosis of imported strongyloidiasis. Both commercially available ELISAs have not been evaluated previously.

Patterns of imported malaria at the academic medical center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Background: In the Netherlands, cases of imported malaria peaked in the late 1990s to around 500 (60% Plasmodium falciparum) annually. About 30% to 40% of all cases and 57% to 69% of the falciparum cases presented in the Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam. In 1991 to 1994, a shift in population groups to more semi-immune patients, mostly settled immigrants visiting friends and relatives (VFRs), was noticed, when compared to 1979 to 1988.

Chronic leg ulcer caused by Mycobacterium immunogenum.

Rare tropical skin diseases are seen more frequently in Western countries because of the increased popularity of visiting tropical regions. A 55-year-old white man developed a painless leg ulcer after traveling in Guatemala and Belize. A mycobacterium was cultured from a biopsy specimen and was identified as Mycobacterium immunogenum by 16S recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid sequence analysis.

Use of rapid dipstick and latex agglutination tests and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for serodiagnosis of amebic liver abscess, amebic Colitis, and Entamoeba histolytica Cyst Passage.

A homemade enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a dipstick assay (Dipstick) for the detection of anti-Entamoeba histolytica antibodies in serum were developed and evaluated together with a commercially available latex agglutination test (LAT; Laboratoires Fumouze) for their use in serodiagnosis of amebiasis. The sensitivity of these assays was evaluated with sera from 27 patients with radiologically proven, cellulose acetate precipitation (CAP) test-positive amebic liver abscess, 7 patients with parasitologically and PCR-proven amebic colitis, and 11 patients with parasitologically and PCR-proven E. histolytica cyst passage.

Presentation and diagnosis of imported schistosomiasis: relevance of eosinophilia, microscopy for ova, and serology.

Background: In nonendemic countries a steady rise in cases of imported schistosomiasis has been observed. The objective of this study was to describe the presentation of patients diagnosed with schistosomiasis in the Outpatient Department (OPD) for Tropical Diseases in the Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Methods: In a retrospective study, patients with schistosomiasis from our OPD (1997-1999), including a subgroup of persons asking for screening for schistosomiasis and found positive, were analyzed.