Introduction:

eosinophilic meningoencephalitis is an infectious inflammatory disease reported in Cuba since the 1980s and currently extended to the American continent. This condition is caused by the parasite Angiostrongylus cantonensis.

Objective:

determine whether there are differences between the patients suffering from eosinophilic meningoencephalitis before and after the introduction of the giant African snail.

Methods:

a study was conducted of a total 19 cerebrospinal fluid and serum samples taken simultaneously from each of the patients diagnosed with eosinophilic meningoencephalitis and kept at the sample collection of the Central Cerebrospinal Fluid Laboratory (LABCEL). Radial immunodiffusion was the laboratory method used for determination of the proteins albumin and IgG.

Results:

of the patients studied, 14% were adults before the appearance of this mollusc, in contrast with the present moment, when 50% are patients aged over 18 years. The percentage of mean intrathecal synthesis of IgG was higher in the current sufferers, though not significantly.

Conclusions:

there are differences before and after the appearance of the giant African snail, given the intrathecal synthesis response of patients associated to the mollusc, which denotes greater aggressiveness by the parasite. The higher mean age of sufferers confirms that these are the ones who most often handle and disperse the mollusc.

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