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Review
. 2021 Feb;148(2):227-233.
doi: 10.1017/S0031182020001262. Epub 2020 Jul 30.

Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of neuroangiostrongyliasis: updated recommendations

Vernon Ansdell  1 , Kenton J Kramer  1 , Jourdan K McMillan  1 , William L Gosnell  1 , Gerald S Murphy  1 , B C Meyer  2 , Elizabeth U Blalock  3 , Johnnie Yates  4 , Louis Lteif  5 , Olivia A Smith  1 , Marian Melish  6
Affiliations
Review

Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of neuroangiostrongyliasis: updated recommendations

Vernon Ansdell et al. Parasitology. 2021 Feb.

Abstract

A subcommittee of the Hawaii Governor's Joint Task Force on Rat Lungworm Disease developed preliminary guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of neuroangiostrongyliasis (NAS) in 2018 (Guidelines, 2018). This paper reviews the main points of those guidelines and provides updates in areas where our understanding of the disease has increased. The diagnosis of NAS is described, including confirmation of infection by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RTi-PCR) to detect parasite DNA in the central nervous system (CNS). The treatment literature is reviewed with recommendations for the use of corticosteroids and the anthelminthic drug albendazole. Long-term sequelae of NAS are discussed and recommendations for future research are proposed.

Keywords: Diagnosis; Neuroangiostrongyliais; Treatment.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

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MeSH terms

Supplementary concepts