Cryptic parasite infection in recent west African immigrants with relative eosinophilia

Abstract

Relative eosinophilia (defined as an eosinophil percentage >5% but an eosinophil count <450 cells/μL) is significantly associated with helminth infection in recently arrived West African immigrants (odds ratio, 20.5; 95% confidence interval, 2.7-154). The main parasitic causes related to relative eosinophilia are geohelminthic diseases (specifically, hook-worms) and schistosomiasis.