Filariasis in Sub-Saharan Immigrants Attended in a Health Area of Southern Spain: Clinical and Epidemiological Findings

• DOI: 10.1007/s10903-013-9880-y
• Publication Date: 2013-07-23T05:58:33Z
• Authors: Fernando Cobo; Mª Teresa Cabezas...; Joaquín Salas-Cor...; Mª Isabel Cabeza-...; José Vázquez-Vill...; Manuel J. Soriano...
• Keywords: Adult; Male; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Filariasis; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Spain; Humans; Female; Africa South of the Sahara

Filariasis is still an endemic disease in several countries worldwide. Patients with mansonellosis result in only relatively mild symptoms, but these infections could produce many visits to health care providers. In Spain, this infection is imported due to the increase of immigrant population reaching our country during last years. The health area of the Hospital of Poniente has a rate of immigrants around to 20%, with a high percentage coming from sub-Saharan countries, being Mansonella perstans the main filarial infection in the majority of cases. In the protocol for the immigrants, it has been included the diagnosis of filarial infections in order to treat them. This manuscript describes epidemiological and clinical aspects of patients with this kind of infection.