[Pentastomosis. A serological study of 193 Ivorians]

Pentastomosis is the infection caused by the larvae of a worm resorting to Armillifer genus, the adults living in the lungs of big african snakes. Eggs are released with snakes slime and dejecta and ingested by man and various animals. Larvae are disseminated through lymphatic vessels in peritoneum, liver, spleen, lungs, pleurae, and rarely in kidneys, brain or even eye. Most often the infection is fortuitously detected during a radiologic control or a surgical inspection. The serological prevalence was of 4.2 p. 100 as a whole, somewhat lower than that given by post mortem examinations but higher than the prevalence resulting of radiologic controls. Children under 5 are concerned with a prevalence of 7 p. 100.