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Background Leprosy is a potentially debilitating disease of the skin and nerves that requires a complex management approach consisting of laboratory monitoring, screening for factors that will adversely affect outcome with corticosteroids, engagement of allied health services, and prolonged follow-up. Given the complexities of leprosy management, a safety tool was developed and implemented in the Tropical Disease Unit at Toronto General Hospital. Our objective was to evaluate the utility of the tool using a retrospective chart review. Methods We reviewed the charts of patients with leprosy treated over a 3.5-year period: up to 3 years prior to tool implementation, and 6-months following implementation. Pre-determined outcomes of interest included: loss to follow-up; monitoring of laboratory parameters; allied health services engagement; baseline ophthalmologic assessment; and risk mitigation interventions. Results Of 17 patients enrolled, 8 were treated pre-implementation, and 9 post-implementation. Five (29.4%) pre-implementation patients were lost to follow-up compared to none post-implementation (p = 0.009). One (12.5%) pre-implementation patient was sent for baseline ophthalmologic assessment versus 8 (88.9%) post-implementation (p = 0.0034). Only post-implementation patients received referrals for occupational therapy and social work, with 77.8% (n = 7) receiving occupational therapy (p = 0.0023) and 33.3% (n = 3) social work (p = 0.2059). Laboratory parameters such as hemoglobin, hepatic transaminases, and methemoglobin were routinely monitored for patients on dapsone irrespective of tool implementation. Conclusions Implementation of a leprosy-specific safety tool has established a user-friendly method for systemizing all elements of care, and ensuring the involvement of allied health services necessary for optimizing health outcomes. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s40794-018-0061-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Many parasitic infections have different presenting features in endemic individuals (ENDs) and immunologically naive temporary residents (TRs). Temporary residents with loiasis often display acute symptoms and hypereosinophilia, in contrast to a parasite-induced subclinical state in chronically infected ENDs. Few studies have examined differences in ENDs and TRs infected with the related filarial parasite Onchocerca volvulus. We identified 40 TRs and 36 ENDs with imported onchocerciasis at the National Institutes of Health between 1976 and 2016. All study subjects received an extensive pretreatment medical history, physical examination, and laboratory investigations. We performed additional parasite-specific serologic testing on stored patient sera. Asymptomatic infection occurred in 12.5% of TRs and no ENDs (P = 0.06). Papular dermatitis was more common in TRs (47.5% versus 2.7%, P < 0.001), whereas more pigmentation changes occurred in ENDs (41.7% versus 15%, P = 0.01). Only endemic patients reported visual disturbance (13% versus 0%, P = 0.03). One TR (3.3%) had onchocercal eye disease, compared with 22.6% of ENDs (P = 0.053). Absolute eosinophil counts (AECs) were similar in ENDs and TRs (P = 0.5), and one-third of subjects had a normal AEC. Endemic individuals had higher filarial-specific IgG4 and were more likely to be positive for IgG4 antibodies to Ov-16. Temporary residents and ENDs with imported O. volvulus infection presented with different dermatologic manifestations; ocular involvement occurred almost exclusively in ENDs. Unlike Loa loa, clinical differences appear not to be eosinophil-mediated and may reflect chronicity, intensity of infection, or the presence of Wolbachia in O. volvulus.

Background Strongyloidiasis is a common infection in Canadian migrants that can cause life-threatening hyperinfection in immunosuppressed hosts. We designed and implemented a safety tool to guide management of patients with Strongyloides in order to prevent adverse outcomes. Methods: Patients treated at our centre for strongyloidiasis from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2015 were identified through our ivermectin access log. Patients were categorized into pre-implementation and post-implementation groups. A retrospective chart review for predefined variables was conducted. Results Of 37 patients with strongyloidiasis, 26 were in the pre-implementation group and 11 were in the post-implementation group. Documented seroreversion (positive to negative) occurred in 42.1% of patients pre-implementation and 62.5% of patients post-implementation (p = 0.420). Documented stool clearance occurred in 80.0% of patients pre-implementation and 100.0% of patients post-implementation (p = 1.000). More patients were screened for HTLV-1 coinfection post-implementation (80.0%) versus pre-implementation (30.8%) (p = 0.011). Loss to follow-up after treatment occurred in 23.1% of patients pre-implementation and 20.0% of patients post-implementation (p = 1.000). Conclusions The safety tool may be useful in the treatment of patients with strongyloidiasis to improve documentation of patient outcomes and standardize care. Future research should include a powered prospective study. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s40794-019-0080-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Purpose of review With increasing international travel and mass global population migration, clinicians in nonendemic countries must be familiar with imported neglected tropical diseases including onchocerciasis, which is commonly known as 'river blindness'. Recent findings Imported onchocerciasis manifests differently in travelers compared with migrants from endemic areas and is likely underdiagnosed in both groups. Recent clinical studies confirm that eosinophilia is not a sensitive marker for Onchocerca volvulus, with one-third of patients having a normal eosinophil count. Novel diagnostics measuring antibodies to multiple recombinant O. volvulus antigens maintain a high sensitivity while improving specificity compared with conventional pan-filarial serologic testing. A 6-week course of doxycycline has macrofilaricidal activity through Wolbachia depletion and may be useful in nonendemic areas in addition to standard serial ivermectin. Summary Recent studies characterizing distinct clinical presentations in travelers and migrants may enable clinicians to better recognize imported onchocerciasis. Although novel diagnostics have improved specificity, most remain restricted to tropical disease reference laboratories and to date there is no marker of cure. Prolonged doxycycline treatment may reduce the need for serial ivermectin, though more potent short-course macrofilaricidal drugs are being developed.

Brucella melitensis was identified in an aspirate obtained from a patient's hip joint during a procedure at a hospital in Canada. We conducted an investigation into possible exposures among hospital workers; 1 worker who assisted with the procedure tested positive for B. melitensis. Aerosol-generating procedures performed outside the laboratory may facilitate transmission of this bacterium.