Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Strongyloides stercoralis differs from the other soil-transmitted helminthes because it poses infected subjects at risk of a fatal syndrome (in case of immunosuppression due to medical conditions, immunosuppressant therapies, or both).... more
Strongyloides stercoralis differs from the other soil-transmitted helminthes because it poses infected subjects at risk of a fatal syndrome (in case of immunosuppression due to medical conditions, immunosuppressant therapies, or both). Chronic strongyloidiasis is often a non severe condition, or sometimes even asymptomatic, but diagnosis and effective therapy are essential in order to eradicate the infection and the lifelong risk involved. Therefore, diagnostic methods need to be highly sensitive. Stool microscopy and Kato-Katz are commonly used in prevalence studies, but they are inadequate for S. stercoralis detection. This is probably the main reason why global prevalence has long been underestimated. Concentration methods, Baermann technique and Koga agar plate culture have a better, but still unsatisfactory, sensitivity. Serologic tests have demonstrated higher sensitivity; although some authors have concerns about their specificity, it is possible to define cutoff values over ...