Volume 28, Number 12—December 2022
Research Letter
Laboratory Features of Trichinellosis and Eosinophilia Threshold for Testing, Nunavik, Quebec, Canada, 2009–2019
Luke B. Harrison
, Michael D. Libman, Chelsea Caya, Momar Ndao, and Cedric P. Yansouni
, Michael D. Libman, Chelsea Caya, Momar Ndao, and Cedric P. Yansouni
Table
Characteristics of patients and controls in study of Trichinella infections in Nunavik, Quebec, Canada, 2009–2019*
| Characteristic | Case-patients, n = 43 | Controls, n = 31 | Test statistic† | p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics | ||||
| Age, y | 39.1 (5–75, 16.1) | 45.8 (0–80, 22.4) | t = –1.48 (–15.59 to 2.32) | 0.144 |
| Female | 30 (69.8) | 16 (51.6) | χ2 = 3.77 | 0.052 |
| Male |
13 (30.2) |
15 (48.4) |
||
| Level of care received, no. with available information/total no. (%) | ||||
| Outpatient | 18/27 (67) | 15/24 (63) | NA | NA |
| Inpatient | 9/27 (33) | 9/24 (38) | NA | NA |
| Critical care | 0/27 | 0/24 | NA | NA |
| Evacuated to southern Quebec | 7/27 (26) | 8/24 (33) | NA | NA |
| Unknown |
16/43 (37) |
7/31 (23) |
NA |
NA |
| Positive Trichinella serologic result |
39 (91)§ |
NA |
NA |
NA |
| Biochemical features during illness | ||||
| Eosinophils, × 109 cells/L | 5.35 (0.80–17.40, 3.81) | 0.80 (0–4.5, 1.00) | t = 6.47 (3.14 to 5.95) | <0.001 |
| Platelets, × 109/L | 545 (294–977, 169) | 479 (208–1009, 210) | t = 1.45 (–24.43 to 154.90) | 0.151 |
| Creatinine kinase, U/L | 1562 (103–8081, 1511) | 956 (28–6470, 1730) | t = 1.42 (–245.92 to 1,458.90) | 0.160 |
| C-reactive protein, mg/L | 66.5 (8–191.7, 42.1) | 66.6 (0.5–253.0, 82.9) | t = –0.03 (–38.05 to 36.83) | 0.974 |
| Alanine aminotransferase, U/L | 140.2 (21.0–541.0, 128.1) | 85.1 (16.0–334.0, 75.6) | t = 1.82 (–5.56 to 115.91) | 0.074 |
*Values are no. (%) or mean (range, SD) except as indicated. NA, not applicable; t, Student t statistic. †Expressed as t value (95% CI). ‡Optical density >0.3. §Four cases were determined epidemiologically, and initially negative serologic testing was not repeated.
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