Exotic viral hepatitis: A review on epidemiology, pathogenesis, and treatment.

Certain "exotic" viruses are known to cause clinical diseases with potential liver involvement. These include viruses, beyond regular hepatotropic viruses (hepatitis A, -B(D), -C, -E, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus), that can be found in (sub)tropical areas and can cause "exotic viral hepatitis". Transmission routes typically involve arthropods (Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever, dengue, Rift Valley fever, yellow fever).

Facial paralysis due to a spitting cobra bite.

The global burden of snakebites is growing, particularly its nonfatal sequelae. Therefore, the World Health Organization reinstated snakebites to its list of Neglected Tropical Diseases. We describe the case of a 4.

[Myocarditis, a treacherous condition].

Myocarditis, a treacherous condition It is important to recognize myocarditis at an early stage. To illustrate this, we present two male patients aged 39 and 51, respectively, who were admitted with febrile disease and signs of circulatory instability. Initially, myocarditis was not suspected in these patients.

Distinguishing tropical sprue from celiac disease in returning travellers with chronic diarrhoea: a diagnostic challenge?

Background: Within the present era of worldwide travel, it is important for all clinicians to consider the possibility of tropical sprue (TS) in returning patients with persistent diarrhoea after travel. The symptoms and histologic findings of TS can resemble but also be confused with celiac disease (CD).

Material And Method: Patients at our institute diagnosed with CD or TS in the period January 2000-December 2010 were eligible for inclusion.

A case report of transfusion-transmitted Plasmodium malariae from an asymptomatic non-immune traveller.

Background: The incidence of transfusion-transmitted malaria is very low in non-endemic countries due to strict donor selection. The optimal strategy to mitigate the risk of transfusion-transmitted malaria in non-endemic countries without unnecessary exclusion of blood donations is, however, still debated and asymptomatic carriers of Plasmodium species may still be qualified to donate blood for transfusion purposes.

Case Description: In April 2011, a 59-year-old Dutch woman with spiking fevers for four days was diagnosed with a Plasmodium malariae infection.

Is paromomycin the drug of choice for eradication of Dientamoeba fragilis in adults?

Dientamoeba fragilis is a debated protozoan parasite that is often detected in stools of patients with chronic gastro-intestinal complaints. A retrospective follow-up study of a large cohort of patients was performed to better understand the natural course of the infection and possible treatment options. D.

Is paromomycin the drug of choice for eradication of Blastocystis in adults?

Blastocystis is a protozoan parasite of controversial clinical significance that is often detected in stools of patients with gastrointestinal complaints. Patients infected with Blastocystis and persistent, unexplained gastrointestinal complaints are often treated with the intention to eradicate Blastocystis. However, there is no consensus on the most effective drug.

[Tick-borne encephalitis after a holiday in Southern Germany].

A 56-year-old man was admitted to hospital with complaints of headache, fever and photophobia, 3 weeks after being bitten by ticks in Southern Germany. Two weeks before admission he had experienced a short period of a flu-like illness, from which he spontaneously recovered. Based on the tick bites in Southern Germany and the biphasic course of the illness shortly afterwards, we made the diagnosis tick-borne encephalitis, Frühsommer-Meningoenzephalitis in German (FSME).

Efficacy and safety of exchange transfusion as an adjunct therapy for severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria in nonimmune travelers: a 10-year single-center experience with a standardized treatment protocol.

Background: Even in circumstances where optimal antimalarial and supportive treatment is available, severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria is still associated with a significant case fatality. Although exchange transfusion (ET) has been considered as a controversial adjunct therapy, we have not encountered any case fatality since ET was introduced as a standard adjunct therapy for patients with severe malaria.

Study Design And Methods: In this retrospective cohort study of 25 patients with severe malaria, the efficacy and safety of ET as an adjunct to parenteral antimalarial treatment (which was implemented in our hospital starting in 1998) were evaluated and compared with 31 historical control patients who were treated with conventional parenteral antimalarial treatment in the period before ET was added to the standard of care for severe malaria (generally before 1997).

Human Plasmodium knowlesi infection detected by rapid diagnostic tests for malaria.

We describe a PCR-confirmed case of Plasmodium knowlesi infection with a high parasitemia level and clinical signs of severe malaria in a migrant worker from Malaysian Borneo in the Netherlands. Investigations showed that commercially available rapid antigen tests for detection of human Plasmodium infections can detect P. knowlesi infections in humans.

Early small bowel perforation and cochleovestibular impairment as rare complications of typhoid fever.

Two Indian migrant workers suffering from fever and malaise were admitted to the hospital directly after arrival in the Netherlands. The first patient was 25-year-old man who had fever and rigors on admission. The patient was treated for presumptive typhoid fever with ciprofloxacin.

Different perceptions of the burden of upper GI endoscopy: an empirical study in three patient groups.

Background: Few studies have evaluated patients' perceived burden of cancer surveillance tests. Cancer screening and surveillance, however, require a large number of patients to undergo potentially burdensome tests with only some experiencing health gains from it. We investigated the determinants of patients' reported burden of upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy by comparing data from three patient groups.

Aseptic abscesses: a study of 30 patients with or without inflammatory bowel disease and review of the literature.

Aseptic abscesses (AA) are characterized by deep, sterile, round lesions consisting of neutrophil that do not respond to antibiotics but improve dramatically with corticosteroids. We report the clinical, laboratory, and radiologic characteristics and the associated conditions of 29 patients from the French Register on AA plus 1 patient from the Netherlands.The mean age of patients at AA diagnosis was 29 years (SD = 14).

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.