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First human case of fatal Halicephalobus gingivalis meningoencephalitis in Australia

Chuan Kok Lim1, April Crawford2, Casey V Moore3

  • 1Department of Microbiology, SA Pathology, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia chuankok.lim@health.sa.gov.au.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology
|February 20, 2015
PubMed

Insights

A rare nematode, Halicephalobus gingivalis, caused fatal brain infection in an Australian. This case highlights the need for better diagnostic tools for this dangerous parasite.

Area of Science:

  • Veterinary Neurology
  • Parasitology
  • Human Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Halicephalobus gingivalis (formerly Micronema deletrix) is a free-living nematode.
  • This nematode primarily causes opportunistic infections in horses.
  • Human infections are exceedingly rare, typically resulting in fatal meningoencephalitis.

Observation:

  • This report details the first confirmed case of Halicephalobus gingivalis infection in an Australian human.
  • Diagnosis was confirmed through nematode morphology and ribosomal DNA sequencing.
  • The patient presented with fatal meningoencephalitis.

Findings:

  • Morphological identification and ribosomal DNA sequencing confirmed Halicephalobus gingivalis.
  • This represents the first documented human case in Australia.
  • The infection led to a fatal outcome.

Implications:

  • This case underscores the potential for Halicephalobus gingivalis to cause severe human infections.
  • It highlights the critical need to consider this nematode in the differential diagnosis of unexplained fatal encephalitis.
  • Real-time PCR is proposed as a potential diagnostic tool requiring further evaluation.

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