Hymenolepiasis due to Hymenolepis nana, in relation to 2 cases

Abstract

Hymenolepiasis is a parasitic infection with a cosmopolitan distribution, it has a global prevalence ranging from 0.1 to 58%. Is more frequent in children and is produced by the Hymenolepis nana basket, which evolves through life cycles: monoxenic, with a single final host and an intermediate host, which can be a man, rats or mice. In the heterocyclic cycle, it’s evident the presence of an arthropod (flea or weevil) that consumes eggs in fecal matter and develops the cysticercoid (larva). Then, this vector is ingested by the definitive host (human or rat) who is going to develop the infection subsequently.

Symptoms depend on the degree of involvement of villi in the small intestine, including abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, irritability, anal pruritus and anorexia. The treatment of choice is praziquantel in a single dose of 25 mg. In the present work, we describe the cases of users who visited the Health Center of San Antonio de Pichincha in Quito. They came with nonspecific symptomatology. At first, they were analyzed through a coproparasitary examination of the control and the suspicion of contact with the rodent at second. In both cases with the pathology.

It was decided to start the treatment. However, this medication was not obtained, so a dose of 2 g per day for 2 days of niclosamide was given for disappearing of the clinical picture.