Imported parasitic infections in Serbia

Abstract

Background: Travel to the tropics is associated with a risk of parasitic infection, which is increasing in parallel with the rise in travel to these areas. We thus examined the prevalence and trend in the occurrence of parasitic infections in Serbian travelers. Methods: A retrospective analysis of the medical records of all travelers returning from tropical and subtropical areas, who presented at the Institute for Infectious and Tropical Diseases in Belgrade between January 2001 and January 2008, was performed. Results: Of a total of 2440 travelers, 169 (6.9%) were diagnosed with a parasitic infection, including malaria in 79, intestinal parasites in 84 (pathogenic species in 30 and non-pathogenic in 54), filariasis in four, and visceral leishmaniasis and fascioliasis in one patient each. Importantly, of the whole series only 583 (23.9%) were symptomatic, of which 19.4% were found to be infected with a parasite. The single pathogenic parasite occurring in asymptomatic patients was Giardia intestinalis. Conclusions: Parasitic infection causing symptomatic disease among travelers returning from tropical areas to Serbia is not infrequent. In view of the expected increase in travel to the tropics, diagnostic protocols for tropical parasitic diseases should take these data into account.

The prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections among Kosovar and Serbian school-children in Kosovo

“…The authors’ study conducted in the period between 2017 and 2018 among 310 asymptomatic Serbian school-children from the Gnjilane region in eastern Kosovo, demonstrated the overall incidence of IPI at 4.2 %, with Giardia intestinalis (1.9 %) and Ascaris lumbricoides (1.0 %) being predominant. Examination of 2,440 Serbian travelers returning from tropical and subtropical destinations revealed infections with intestinal parasites in 1.2 % patients only, mainly Entamoeba histolytica sensu lato and Giardia intestinalis ( Dakić et al, 2011 ). In recent years, a majority of studies into the prevalence of intestinal parasites in humans that are carried out in Europe are primarily focused on the incidence of Cryptosporidium spp.…”

Seroprevalence of Leishmania spp. in dogs in northern Serbia

“…testing for the import or export of dogs throughout Europe. Dogs from Serbia often travel with their owners to endemic countries like Montenegro, Greece, and Croatia, with no controls on their return (Dakić et. al, 2011).…”