Preliminary antigenic characterisation of an adult worm vomit preparation of Fasciola hepatica by infected human sera.

Fascioliasis is an emerging/re-emerging vector-borne disease with the widest known distribution. Approximately 17 million people are infected around the world, being the Andean region the most affected area. There is an important necessity to develop sensitive and specific diagnostic tools to treat patients early and to avoid complications.

Preliminary characterization of an adult worm "vomit" preparation of Schistosoma mansoni and its potential use as antigen for diagnosis.

Schistosoma mansoni is a parasitic trematode of the portal-mesenteric veins with a closed-end intestine. Adult worms regurgitate their intestinal content after digestion, together with constituents of the lining gut. Some of these molecules circulate in the blood and are antigenic.

Human infection by Fasciola hepatica in Venezuela: report of a geriatric case.

A new case of human infection due to Fasciola hepatica is reported in the Venezuelan parasitological literature. The patient is an 81-year-old female asymptomatic, with an eosinophilia of 21% and critrosedimentation rate of 26 mm/h and was found during a routine check up. These values were normal at the time of treatment (4 months later), as were several tests of hepatic function, blood chemistry and peripheral blood haematological values.