The 64-year-old complained of an unusual rash and diarrhea. The pathological changes on his skin were “moving”. Concerned doctors examined the patient’s feces. Then it turned out that the man contracted the parasite.
A 64-year-old man from Spain developed a rash that “began to move” after a few days. It turned out that the injured person got infected a parasitic worm from the genus of nematodes, namely the intestinal nematode (strongyloides stercoralis). The parasite is only found inside mammals such as humans, dogs and cats. Moreover, it causes the disease called strongyloidosis called eel. Hence the “moving rash” in the 64-year-old — the parasite crawled under his skin all over his body. This unusual case was described in The New England Journal of Medicine.
A rash that was “moving”
In a 64-year-old man, doctors diagnosed a lung cancer with metastases that had already appeared on the spine and compressed the spinal cord. The patient was taken to a hospital in Madrid. There he was given a large dose of glucocorticosteroids. It is a group of steroids designed to fight inflammation. They are sometimes used in cancer patients to alleviate the side effects of chemotherapy and to help treat some types of cancer.
Four days after the administration of glucocorticoids, the man developed a rash of red, wavy lines all over his body. There was also diarrhea. The first lesions appeared around the anus. However, they quickly spread to the entire torso and limbs. In addition, at an express pace. The rash was “moving” and it looked as if something was crawling under the skin of the 64-year-old. Concerned doctors examined the patient’s feces. Then it turned out that the man contracted intestinal nematode (strongyloides stercoralis).
Parasites – how can you get infected?
The larvae of this parasite live in the soil, so people usually become infected through contact with contaminated soil. The parasite can also get into their body through contact with human waste or sewage. It is not known how a 64-year-old man got infected. This is probably what happened when working with sewage management.
Symptoms of infection with intestinal nematodes include: blisters on the skin, erythema, abdominal pain and diarrhea. The man was quickly cured with anti-parasite medication.