Strongyloidiasis: Really a Zoonosis?

More than 600 million people are estimated to be infected with the nematode Strongyloides stercoralis, which is often overlooked during routine parasitological diagnostics. Some of the young worms mature to infective larvae within the host, enabling this parasite to establish long-lived, self-sustaining infections. While most of these infections are mild, they can self-enhance, resulting in complicated strongyloidisas, which if not treated in time, is normally lethal.