First case of human Gongylonema pulchrum infection in Slovenia

J Helminthol. 2019 Jul 22:94:e62. doi: 10.1017/S0022149X19000658.

Abstract

Nematodes of the genus Gongylonema infect a wide range of mammals worldwide but are only sporadically reported in humans. We describe a case of human infection with Gongylonema pulchrum in a 41-year-old man. The patient extracted the nematode from the submucosa under his tongue and correctly self-diagnosed the infection with the help of the Google search engine. In the laboratory, the collected nematode was confirmed as G. pulchrum microscopically by morphological analysis and genetically by amplifying and sequencing the parasite's rDNA. This is the first report of human G. pulchrum infection in Slovenia.

Keywords: Gongylonema pulchrum; Slovenia; human infection; microscopy; molecular typing.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Diagnostic Self Evaluation
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Search Engine
  • Slovenia
  • Spirurida Infections / diagnosis*
  • Spirurida Infections / parasitology
  • Spiruroidea / genetics*
  • Spiruroidea / isolation & purification
  • Tongue / parasitology*