What a professor learned about cyclospora cayetanensis by attending digestive diseases week conference in Chicago

摘要

To the Editor: In 2009, a 59-year-old Professor of Gastroenterology with no significant past medical history attended the annual Digestive Diseases Week meeting in Chicago. Four days after returning to the United Kingdom, he developed a low-grade fever lasting 24 h followed by severe and persisting early satiety. He had a single episode of loose stool on the third day of the illness, which only recurred following high lactose containing foods. He developed a marked succussion splash and daytime oliguria. After 10 days of symptoms, he had recorded 3 kg of weight loss. On consulting "Google," the Professor of Gastroenterology considered a parasite infection such as Giardia was the best match for his symptoms. Fresh stool samples for Giardia were negative. Routine blood tests showed a urea of 6.9 mmol/1 and a mild transamini-tis (alanine transaminase 67mu/l, alanine transaminase 101 mu/l) but no other abnormality.