FULMINATING STRONGYLOIDIASIS COMPLICATING INDIAN KALA-AZAR

Infection with Strongyloides stercoralis in an immunocompetent host us ually remains unrecognized. Sometimes, however, it may cause serious p roblems in the immunocompromised host due to its enhanced invasiveness . We present here details of three kala-azar patients with fulminating strongyloidiasis manifested by acute diarrhoea with blood and mucus, severe dehydration, cough and dyspnoea with low peripheral blood eosin ophils and filariform larvae of S. stercoralis in faeces. No larvae co uld be defected in the sputum in spite of radiological evidence of inf iltration. The impact of albendazole was dramatic with ct disappearanc e of parasites from the faeces and of pulmonary infiltration and an in crease in blood eosinophil count. It is emphasized that S. stercoralis infection in kala azar patients should be considered a serious infect ion and treated accordingly.