Dengue Surveillance among French Military in Africa

are characteristic of B. procyonis roundworms and distinguish it from other nematodes that are known to affect humans (2,3). This case is unusual in several respects: the patient is the oldest known person with confi rmed B. procyonis NLM; it is only the second case reported from Canada (5); and it is a pathologically proven example of cerebral B. procyonis infection in a human without major clinical manifestations. Although this patient’s dementia could have masked subtle neurologic features, no changes were witnessed by caregivers or relatives, and the patient voiced no concerns. Her long-standing dementia was fully explained by Alzheimer-type pathology, and it is highly unlikely that the low-level and restricted anatomic distribution of parasitic infection would have contributed to her dementia. More likely, the combination of confusion and poor hygiene and ambulatory state in the patient may have predisposed her to acquiring B. procyonis roundworms through ingestion of contaminated soil. The existence of mild or subclinical B. procyonis brain infection is recognized in veterinary medicine (1,2). This case expands the currently recognized spectrum of human disease caused by B. procyonis roundworms to include mild or subclinical cerebral infection in elderly persons and suggests that dementia may increase the risk for exposure.