Strongyloides as a cause of fever of unknown origin

Abstract

Strongyloides is endemic in parts of the United States. Most often it is asymptomatic but it has a wide range of clinical presentations. Because of the unusual capacity of strongyloides for autoinfection, it can cause hyperinfection, when it effects the pulmonary and gastrointestinal systems, or disseminated infection, when other organs are involved. Both hyperinfection and disseminated strongyloides usually occur in immunosuppressed patients. We report a case of hyperinfection with strongyloides in a man presenting with fever of unknown origin who was not immunosuppressed.