Hymenolepis diminuta Infection in a School Going Child: First Case Report from Uttarakhand
Published: September 1, 2016 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2016/21718.8522
Pratima Gupta, Priyanka Gupta, Bhanu Kiran Bhakri, Neelam Kaistha, Balram ji Omar
1. Professor and Head, Department of Microbiology, AIIMS, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India.
2. Senior Resident, Department of Microbiology, AIIMS, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India.
3. Assistant Professor, Department of Paediatrics, AIIMS, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India.
4. Additional Professor, Department of Microbiology, AIIMS, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India.
5. Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology, AIIMS, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India.
Correspondence
Dr. Pratima Gupta,
Professor and Head, Department of Microbiology, AIIMS, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India.
E-mail: drpratima68@gmail.com
Hymenolepis diminuta (H.diminuta) is prevalent worldwide, and a few hundred human cases have been reported till date. It is primarily a rodent parasite and humans (usually children) can act as accidental hosts. Infections are usually asymptomatic but abdominal pain, irritability, pruritis, mild diarrhoea and eosinophilia are among the existing symptoms in a few of the reported cases. Here, we report a case of an 11-year-old female child from Bijnor, who presented to us with complaints of abdominal pain, fatigue and irregular episodes of fever. Routine stool examination showed characteristic eggs of H.diminuta. Patient was given a single oral dose of praziquantel (25 mg/kg) and she improved. This case is presented to emphasize that till date there are very few reports on H.diminuta and there is limited data regarding its treatment protocols (dose and duration). Furthermore, albendazole which is commonly used drug for deworming helminthic infections is less effective in these infections.
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