Gnathostomiasis is an emerging disease in non-endemic countries. This zoonotic nematode requires aquatic freshwater environments to complete its life cycle where larvae get encrusted in fishes. Typically, the infection manifests as migratory subcutaneous lesion caused by the larvae trak, which produces an eosinophilic panniculitis. Here we describe a patient who presented a migratory lesion with no response to antimicrobial therapy, a careful travel and food history together with specific laboratory tests led to the correct diagnosis. Gnathostomiasis should be suspected in patients with migratory skin lesions who have consumed raw freshwater fish during travel to endemic countries in South America or Asia.

Gnathostomiasis is an emerging disease in non-endemic countries. This zoonotic nematode requires aquatic freshwater environments to complete its life cycle where larvae get encrusted in fishes. Typically, the infection manifests as migratory subcutaneous lesion caused by the larvae trak, which produces an eosinophilic panniculitis. Here we describe a patient who presented a migratory lesion with no response to antimicrobial therapy, a careful travel and food history together with specific laboratory tests led to the correct diagnosis. Gnathostomiasis should be suspected in patients with migratory skin lesions who have consumed raw freshwater fish during travel to endemic countries in South America or Asia.

Chikungunya (CHIK) was introduced in The Americas in 2013, spreading rapidly. In 2014, the first imported case was diagnosed in Chile.To identify patients with clinical suspicion of CHIK and describe their clinical and laboratory characteristics.Patients with suspected CHIK were enrolled. All were confirmed by PCR, IgM or IgG CHIK. A structured survey was applied, which included demographic questions, travel characteristics, clinical manifestations, and laboratory results.21 patients were enrolled and CHIK was confirmed in 16, who were further analyzed; 12 were female (75%), average age 39 years (27-52). The Caribbean and South Americawere the most frequent sites of exposure. In 63%, the initial symptom was arthralgia. Most frequent symptoms were myalgias, malaise (both 100%), fever, and polyarthralgia (both 94%). The median duration of arthralgias was 90 days (3-262); in 53% arthralgias lasted ≥ 3 months. Main joints involved were ankles, hands, and wrists; 87% reported invalidating pain. Arthritis lasted longer in men than in women (p < 0.001). 38% of patients presented lymphopenia and one patient mild thrombocytopenia. Two patients required hospitalization, one with severe headaches, the other with acute pyelonephritis.Chikungunya should be suspected in returning travelers presenting with fever and severe polyarthralgia. Travelers to endemic areas should apply prevention measures to avoid mosquito bites.

BACKGROUND Chikungunya (CHIK) was introduced in The Americas in 2013, spreading rapidly. In 2014, the first imported case was diagnosed in Chile. AIM To identify patients with clinical suspicion of CHIK and describe their clinical and laboratory characteristics. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients with suspected CHIK were enrolled. All were confirmed by PCR, IgM or IgG CHIK. A structured survey was applied, which included demographic questions, travel characteristics, clinical manifestations, and laboratory results. RESULTS 21 patients were enrolled and CHIK was confirmed in 16, who were further analyzed; 12 were female (75%), average age 39 years (27-52). The Caribbean and South Americawere the most frequent sites of exposure. In 63%, the initial symptom was arthralgia. Most frequent symptoms were myalgias, malaise (both 100%), fever, and polyarthralgia (both 94%). The median duration of arthralgias was 90 days (3-262); in 53% arthralgias lasted ≥ 3 months. Main joints involved were ankles, hands, and wrists; 87% reported invalidating pain. Arthritis lasted longer in men than in women (p < 0.001). 38% of patients presented lymphopenia and one patient mild thrombocytopenia. Two patients required hospitalization, one with severe headaches, the other with acute pyelonephritis. CONCLUSIONS Chikungunya should be suspected in returning travelers presenting with fever and severe polyarthralgia. Travelers to endemic areas should apply prevention measures to avoid mosquito bites.

Bartonella henselae infection is a frequent zoonosis from the domestic cat. It is presented with regional lymphadenitis in the majority of cases. Searching and characterization of lymph nodes by diagnostic imaging can be useful in the differential diagnosis approach, with a clear advantage, because it is a noninvasive method. Currently, new diagnostic imaging techniques improves the quality of screening and characterization of adenopathies, such is the case of PET/CT, which allows a better evaluation of hypermetabolic lymph nodes, without considering the individual growth of each lymph node. In this article, three cases of cat scratch diseases serology and their respective imaging findings are reviewed.

We report a cluster of imported vivax malaria in three of five Chilean travelers returning from Peru in March 2015. The cluster highlights the high risk of malaria in the Loreto region in northern Peru, which includes popular destinations for international nature and adventure tourism. According to local surveillance data, Plasmodium vivax is predominating, but Plasmodium falciparum is also present, and the incidence of both species has increased during recent years. Travelers visiting this region should be counseled about the prevention of malaria and the options for chemoprophylaxis.

During blood meal, the female mosquito injects saliva able to elicit an immune response in the vertebrate. This immune response has been proven to reflect the intensity of exposure to mosquito bites and risk of infection for vector transmitted pathogens such as malaria. The peptide gSG6-P1 of An. gambiae saliva has been demonstrated to be antigenic and highly specific to Anopheles as a genus. However, the applicability of gSG6-P1 to measure exposure to different Anopheles species endemic in the Americas has yet to be evaluated. The purpose of this pilot study was to test whether human participants living in American countries present antibodies able to recognize the gSG6-P1, and whether these antibodies are useful as a proxy for mosquito bite exposure and malaria risk.

N. meningitidis serogroup W has recently been introduced into Chile. This serogroup has been associated with hypervirulent strains capable of causing outbreaks. Furthermore, there is data suggesting that the spectrum of clinical manifestations varies among different serogroups. Here we describe three cases of community acquired respiratory infections caused by N. meningitidis W, which were diagnosed by blood culture during 2013 in our hospital.

To the Editor: Anisakidosis is an emerging foodborne zoonosis caused by nematode larvae of the Anisakinae subfamily, which includes the genera Anisakis, Pseudoterranova, and Contracecum (1). In natural cycles, anisakid larvae are transmitted to marine mammals or piscivorous birds when they eat raw saltwater fish or squid. In the human incidental host, larvae attach to the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract, causing clinical features ranging from asymptomatic carriage to severe abdominal pain with complications, such as gastric perforation (2). Microscopical diagnosis is hampered by the lack of distinguishing morphologic characteristics in larval stages (1). Recently, molecular genetic techniques have shown that the main species, Anisakis simplex and Pseudoterranova decipiens, are in fact species groups with distinct geographic and biologic characteristics (3,4). The P. decipiens complex consists of at least 6 sibling species (Technical Appendix Table). We report 4 human infections with P. cattani diagnosed during 2012–2014. The case-patients were adults 22–59 years of age; 2 were female, and all lived in Santiago, Chile. Additional anamnestic and clinical data were available for 3 patients: all spontaneously regurgitated the parasites without having other gastrointestinal complaints. All 3 reported eating ceviche, a dish made of raw marine fish marinated in lemon juice. One patient reported a tingling sensation and coughs before the expulsion of a highly motile larva (Video). This patient was awaiting oral surgery after a bicycle accident and had eaten the last raw fish dish 2 weeks previously. Initially, parasites were identified by morphologic criteria. Larvae were 20 mm long, were of whitish to reddish color, and had 3 anterior lips (Technical Appendix Figure 1). Because of the presence of an anteriorly directed cecum (Technical Appendix Figure 2), they were assigned to Pseudoterranova species. Video Actively mobile larva of Pseudoterranova cattani after oral expulsion. For further molecular identification, DNA samples were extracted by using a DNeasy Blood and Tissue Kit (QIAGEN K.K., Tokyo, Japan). The rRNA gene containing 2 internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions was amplified by PCR using primers NC5 and NC2, as previously described (5). PCR products were sequenced by using a BigDye Terminator Cycle Sequencing Kit (Applied Biosystems Inc., Foster City, CA, USA) on an automated sequencer (ABI3100, Applied Biosystems). Sequence similarities were determined by a BLAST search of DDBJ (http://blast.ddbj.nig.ac.jp/top-j.html). The GENETYX-WIN program version 7.0 (Software Development Co., Tokyo, Japan) facilitated sequence alignment and comparison. Within the 4 ITS sequences of amplicons obtained, all were 100% identical, and alignment with the other P. cattani sequence differed only in 1 nt. ITS sequences of 2 isolates are available in GenBank (accession nos. {type:entrez-nucleotide,attrs:{text:KF781284,term_id:576106588,term_text:KF781284}}KF781284 and {type:entrez-nucleotide,attrs:{text:KF781285,term_id:576106589,term_text:KF781285}}KF781285). All P. cattani sequences showed a previously described deletion of ≈14 bases (Table), which is not observed in other members of the P. decipiens species complex (5). Table Alignment (comparison) of nucleotide sequences of the ITS1 gene of Pseudoterranova cattani and the Chilean specimen and P. decipiens* This study identified P. cattani as a parasite capable of infecting humans. The definitive natural host of this parasite is the South American sea lion, Otaria byronia. At least 4 species of coastal fish were described as intermediate or paratenic hosts, including popular Chilean food fish species, such as Merluccius gayi, Genypterus maculatus, and Cilus gilberti (6). The spectrum of species causing human pseudoterranovosis is uncertain because most cases were reported as P. decipiens (sensu lato) or Pseudoterranova sp. Only recently, 1 case of P. azarasi infection has been documented in a patient from Japan (7). Although comparative studies are lacking, Pseudoterranova larvae seem to be less invasive and cause milder symptoms than Anisakis larvae (2,8). In the cases reported here, larvae were spontaneously expelled without further symptoms, except in 1 patient who reported the typical feature of noninvasive pseudoterranovosis, also described as “tingling throat syndrome” (8), a foreign body sensation accompanied by cough and retching. In Chile, ≈30 human cases have been reported, all diagnosed as P. decipiens or Pseudoterranova sp. by morphologic criteria (9,10). Most patients described mild oropharyngeal complaints and cough. More severe manifestations similar to parasitic pharyngitis caused by Fasciola hepatica or Linguatula serrata seem to be absent, although 1 patient had symptoms of asphyxia (9). The extent to which these cases in Chile were caused by P. cattani is uncertain because molecular diagnosis was not performed. The length of stay and location within the human gastrointestinal tract of Pseudoterranova larvae are unknown, but as indicated by 1 case in our report, lack of symptoms for up to 2 weeks is possible. These cases demonstrate that P. cattani is an incidental human parasite causing oropharygeal pseudoterranovosis. To better understand the epidemiology and clinical relevance of these emerging fishborne zoonotic infections, molecular diagnostic techniques need to be more widely applied, especially in regions where raw fish is part of the regular diet, such as in many parts of South America.

BACKGROUND:Haiti has the highest prevalence of lymphatic filariasis (Wuchereria bancrofti) in the Western Hemisphere. Still, the risk of filarial infection for long-term visitors such as humanitarian aid workers or military personnel is uncertain. The presented study analyzed the exposure to W. bancrofti in Chilean participants of the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) in 2011. METHODS:Blood samples collected from 531 participants were screened for antifilarial antibodies by IgG ELISA, and, if positive, analyzed by immunofluorescence assay (IFA), IgG4 ELISA, Real-Time PCR, and circulating filarial antigen (CFA) card test. RESULTS:ELISA screening was positive in 10 cases. Seroconversion occurred in only two cases (0.38%) based on ELISA values determined in samples taken before and after deployment. Positive IgG ELISA values could not be confirmed by IFA and IgG4 ELISA. Real-Time PCR and CFA testing did not reveal the presence of filaria. CONCLUSIONS:Our data indicate that in the examined cohort of MINUSTAH participants in 2011, the risk of filarial exposure or infection was low.

To the Editor: Anisakidosis is an emerging foodborne zoonosis caused by nematode larvae of the Anisakinae subfamily, which includes the genera Anisakis, Pseudoterranova, and Contracecum (1). In natural cycles, anisakid larvae are transmitted to marine mammals or piscivorous birds when they eat raw saltwater fish or squid. In the human incidental host, larvae attach to the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract, causing clinical features ranging from asymptomatic carriage to severe abdominal pain with complications, such as gastric perforation (2). Microscopical diagnosis is hampered by the lack of distinguishing morphologic characteristics in larval stages (1). Recently, molecular genetic techniques have shown that the main species, Anisakis simplex and Pseudoterranova decipiens, are in fact species groups with distinct geographic and biologic characteristics (3,4). The P. decipiens complex consists of at least 6 sibling species (Technical Appendix Table). We report 4 human infections with P. cattani diagnosed during 2012–2014. The case-patients were adults 22–59 years of age; 2 were female, and all lived in Santiago, Chile. Additional anamnestic and clinical data were available for 3 patients: all spontaneously regurgitated the parasites without having other gastrointestinal complaints. All 3 reported eating ceviche, a dish made of raw marine fish marinated in lemon juice. One patient reported a tingling sensation and coughs before the expulsion of a highly motile larva (Video). This patient was awaiting oral surgery after a bicycle accident and had eaten the last raw fish dish 2 weeks previously. Initially, parasites were identified by morphologic criteria. Larvae were 20 mm long, were of whitish to reddish color, and had 3 anterior lips (Technical Appendix Figure 1). Because of the presence of an anteriorly directed cecum (Technical Appendix Figure 2), they were assigned to Pseudoterranova species. Video Actively mobile larva of Pseudoterranova cattani after oral expulsion. For further molecular identification, DNA samples were extracted by using a DNeasy Blood and Tissue Kit (QIAGEN K.K., Tokyo, Japan). The rRNA gene containing 2 internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions was amplified by PCR using primers NC5 and NC2, as previously described (5). PCR products were sequenced by using a BigDye Terminator Cycle Sequencing Kit (Applied Biosystems Inc., Foster City, CA, USA) on an automated sequencer (ABI3100, Applied Biosystems). Sequence similarities were determined by a BLAST search of DDBJ (http://blast.ddbj.nig.ac.jp/top-j.html). The GENETYX-WIN program version 7.0 (Software Development Co., Tokyo, Japan) facilitated sequence alignment and comparison. Within the 4 ITS sequences of amplicons obtained, all were 100% identical, and alignment with the other P. cattani sequence differed only in 1 nt. ITS sequences of 2 isolates are available in GenBank (accession nos. {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"KF781284","term_id":"576106588","term_text":"KF781284"}}KF781284 and {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"KF781285","term_id":"576106589","term_text":"KF781285"}}KF781285). All P. cattani sequences showed a previously described deletion of ≈14 bases (Table), which is not observed in other members of the P. decipiens species complex (5). Table Alignment (comparison) of nucleotide sequences of the ITS1 gene of Pseudoterranova cattani and the Chilean specimen and P. decipiens* This study identified P. cattani as a parasite capable of infecting humans. The definitive natural host of this parasite is the South American sea lion, Otaria byronia. At least 4 species of coastal fish were described as intermediate or paratenic hosts, including popular Chilean food fish species, such as Merluccius gayi, Genypterus maculatus, and Cilus gilberti (6). The spectrum of species causing human pseudoterranovosis is uncertain because most cases were reported as P. decipiens (sensu lato) or Pseudoterranova sp. Only recently, 1 case of P. azarasi infection has been documented in a patient from Japan (7). Although comparative studies are lacking, Pseudoterranova larvae seem to be less invasive and cause milder symptoms than Anisakis larvae (2,8). In the cases reported here, larvae were spontaneously expelled without further symptoms, except in 1 patient who reported the typical feature of noninvasive pseudoterranovosis, also described as “tingling throat syndrome” (8), a foreign body sensation accompanied by cough and retching. In Chile, ≈30 human cases have been reported, all diagnosed as P. decipiens or Pseudoterranova sp. by morphologic criteria (9,10). Most patients described mild oropharyngeal complaints and cough. More severe manifestations similar to parasitic pharyngitis caused by Fasciola hepatica or Linguatula serrata seem to be absent, although 1 patient had symptoms of asphyxia (9). The extent to which these cases in Chile were caused by P. cattani is uncertain because molecular diagnosis was not performed. The length of stay and location within the human gastrointestinal tract of Pseudoterranova larvae are unknown, but as indicated by 1 case in our report, lack of symptoms for up to 2 weeks is possible. These cases demonstrate that P. cattani is an incidental human parasite causing oropharygeal pseudoterranovosis. To better understand the epidemiology and clinical relevance of these emerging fishborne zoonotic infections, molecular diagnostic techniques need to be more widely applied, especially in regions where raw fish is part of the regular diet, such as in many parts of South America.

Diphyllobothrium latumFigura 1. Estróbilo incompleto de Diphyllobothrium latum que mide 455 cm, con más de 1.000 proglótidas, sin escólex, que fue expulsado en forma espontánea por un paciente que se infectó tras comer ceviche de trucha pescada en la Región de Los Lagos.