Vietnamese Infected with Rare Blood Parasite Mostly Found in Cattle

Doctors at the Ho Chi Minh City-based Hospital for Tropical Diseases have diagnosed Trypanosoma evansi, a kind of blood parasite affecting a large number of wild and domesticated animal species, in a patient admitted to the hospital. The 38-year-old patient from the southern province of Dong Nai was hospitalized with a high fever, chills, knee pain, a severe headache and swollen liver, said Dr. Le Buu Chau, adding tests showed evidence of liver and kidney damage and a T. evansi infection. After four days of critical treatment, the patient has completely recovered and was allowed to return home. In March, the patient was treated at the Dong Nai General Hospital after 18 days of fever and other symptoms. Currently, the hospital is working with experts from Oxford University and veterinary doctors to conduct research on the rare case as well as possible causes of transmission. Doctors said other kinds of trypanosomes have been recorded on humans, such as T. brucei, which causes the sleeping sickness is Africa, and T. cruzi, which causes the deadly Chagas disease in South America. In Vietnam, T. evansi was once found in animals many years ago. (vov.vn Apr 21)