Clinical and epidemiological features of imported loiasis in Beijing: a report from patients returned from Africa
BMC Infectious Diseases·
- DOI
- 10.1186/s12879-024-09620-6
- PMID
- 39033158
- PMCID
- PMC11265026
- OpenAlex
- W4400843237
- Study type
- Guideline
- Publisher
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
The report provides context for recognizing and evaluating imported loiasis in a non-endemic setting, particularly among people returning from prolonged stays in endemic African regions. It may support clinical and laboratory awareness, but the supplied evidence does not establish population-level frequency or broader public health impact.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
The article describes the epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, molecular, and treatment features of Loa loa infection among travelers who returned to Beijing after time in endemic African regions.
Study design
This is a descriptive patient report involving 21 identified infections, with clinical, biological, epidemiological, and treatment information collected for travelers returning to Beijing during 2014–2023.
Population and setting
The population comprised 21 travelers with L. loa infection who had spent more than six months in Africa and returned to Beijing. Most were construction workers assigned to West Africa who reported outdoor activities.
Main findings
Calabar swelling, itching, muscle pain, and skin rash were reported with varying frequency; all patients had elevated eosinophil counts, while only two had detectable microfilariae and filarial antigen. PCR targeting the L. loa ITS-1 region was positive in all subjects, and sequence analysis placed the samples in genetic relation to African L. loa. The abstract reports recovery without relapse after albendazole and diethylcarbamazine treatment.
Public-health relevance
The report provides context for recognizing and evaluating imported loiasis in a non-endemic setting, particularly among people returning from prolonged stays in endemic African regions. It may support clinical and laboratory awareness, but the supplied evidence does not establish population-level frequency or broader public health impact.
Important limitations
The report includes only 21 patients from one return-to-Beijing setting and presents descriptive clinical and laboratory observations, limiting generalizability. This summary is also limited to the supplied single-article abstract and metadata; the original paper is required for decision-grade interpretation, including detailed follow-up, case ascertainment, and study methods.
GIDS interpretation
The article is discoverable under filariasis, China, travel medicine, treatment, genomic epidemiology, and health policy. It provides context on imported loiasis cases and diagnostic features in Beijing, but it does not confirm or quantify any live surveillance signal.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 10 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.