Intestinal Microsporidiosis Due to Enterocytozoon bieneusi in Elderly Human Immunodeficiency Virus–Negative Patients from Vigo, Spain

L Beatriz, LM Isabel, A Cristina… - Clinical Infectious …, 2002 - academic.oup.com
L Beatriz, LM Isabel, A Cristina, F Soledad, T Julio, C del Aguila
Clinical Infectious Diseases, 2002academic.oup.com
We report what is, to our knowledge, the first study in which microsporidial infection was
detected in elderly human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–negative patients. Of the 60 elderly
patients studied, 47 had diarrhea. Intestinal microsporidiosis due to Enterocytozoon
bieneusi was diagnosed in 8 patients (17.02%) by use of Weber's chromotrope-based stain
and polymerase chain reaction with species-specific primers. The mean age of these 8
patients was 75 years; 7 had chronic diarrhea and 1 had nonchronic diarrhea. Six of the …
Abstract
We report what is, to our knowledge, the first study in which microsporidial infection was detected in elderly human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–negative patients. Of the 60 elderly patients studied, 47 had diarrhea. Intestinal microsporidiosis due to Enterocytozoon bieneusi was diagnosed in 8 patients (17.02%) by use of Weber's chromotrope-based stain and polymerase chain reaction with species-specific primers. The mean age of these 8 patients was 75 years; 7 had chronic diarrhea and 1 had nonchronic diarrhea. Six of the patients with chronic diarrhea had no other pathogens isolated. In our opinion, elderly patients, because of their special immunological characteristics, should be considered a group at risk for the acquisition of intestinal microsporidiosis.
Oxford University Press