Urbanorum spp.: A literature review

Abstract

Frequent in underdeveloped and developing countries, intestinal parasites are considered a public health problem, and largely depend on the conditions of basic sanitation and water treatment. In the field of parasitology,Urbanorum spp. is the most recent laboratory finding. The discovery of this new parasite sparked extensive discussions within the scientific community. In this sense, the objective of this work, based on a literature review, is to update the knowledge about Urbanorumspp. regarding its diagnosis and treatment. Thus, it was observed that, for diagnosis, the method of Hoffman, Pons e Janer has been frequently used. However, the combination of techniques can be considered an efficient alternative. The therapeutic approach is currently based on the morphological similaritybetween Urbanorumspp. and protozoa. Thus, the most commonly used drugs are metronidazole and nitazoxanide. However, it must be taken into account that the ideal method for diagnosis and treatment remains uncertain. Therefore, it is imperative that more studies are dedicated to the parasite.