Introduction

A 25 year-old female patient with a history of recurrent pruritus, particularly especially in the evenings over the course of about six years, was seen at the Family Medicine Clinic, National Hospital, Abuja. According to the patient, the problem started when she was living in Lagos. She now lives in Jos while schooling at Yola, Adamawa State. This patient was sent to the Parasitology laboratory for blood filariasis test. Both diurnal and nocturnal blood samples of the patient were analyzed at the Parasitology laboratory.

Materials And Method

Materials

Collection Of Blood

Method For Examination Of Haemolysed Venous Blood

Result

Both the diurnal and nocturnal blood samples had microfilariae of Mansonella species. The nocturnal blood sample also had larvae of Strongyloides stercoralis.

Figure 1

Fig i: Picture of Larvae of

Discussion

The presence of Strongyloides stercoralis in blood is an unusual occurrence. Repeated blood sample collection corresponded with initial blood sample result. During hyperinfection, filariform larvae may gain access to the arterial circulation, thereby allowing dissemination to numerous tissues and solid organs. Infact, filariform larvae have been recovered from biopsies of lymph nodes⁽¹⁾, endocardium⁽²⁾, pancreas⁽³⁾, liver⁽²⁾, kidney⁽⁴⁾, and brain ^(5). In 1991, Onuigbo and Ibeachum⁽⁶⁾ reported encountering a case of Strongyloides stercoralis larvae in peripheral blood.

It is interesting to note that repeated examination of this patient’s faecal samples had no larvae of Strongyloides stercoralis or any other parasite.

This case report is to draw the attention of practicing biomedical scientists and other medical researchers of unusual results while processing specimens in our laboratories.