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. 2020 Dec 1;79(12):353-357.

Special Feature: Diagnosis and Treatment of Neuroangiostrongyliasis in Hawai'i

Kenton Kramer  1 , Johnnie Yates  2 , Jourdan K McMillan  1 , William Gosnell  1 , Gerald S Murphy  1 , Elizabeth Blalock  3 , Louis Lteif  4 , Olivia Smith  1 , Melissa Kahili-Heede  5 , Vernon Ansdell  1
Affiliations

Special Feature: Diagnosis and Treatment of Neuroangiostrongyliasis in Hawai'i

Kenton Kramer et al. Hawaii J Health Soc Welf. .

Abstract

Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a metastrongylid lungworm of rats with a global distribution and the cause of neuroangiostrongyliasis in humans. In Hawai'i, neuroangiostrongyliasis cases have occurred sporadically since 1960; however, in 2001, the number of cases on Maui and Hawai'i Island began to increase significantly. Since most human treatment trials have been conducted in Thailand, where the disease is usually mild, there is a need to develop treatment protocols for Hawai'i, where there is a broader disease spectrum. In 2018, preliminary guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of neuroangiostrongyliasis were developed for Hawai'i's physicians. This article summarizes those guidelines and provides additional recommendations for individuals who recently ingested an infected intermediate host.

Keywords: Angiostrongylus cantonensis; eosinophilic meningitis.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Number of Neuroangiostrongyliasis Cases Reported in the Hawaiian Islands by County and Year.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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