Journal of IiME Volume 3 Issue 1 www.investinme.org P PRROOFFIILLEESS ooff PPRREESSEENNTTEERRSS aatt tthhee IINNVVEESSTT iinn MMEE I INNTTEERRNNAATTIIOONNAALL MMEE//CCFFSS CCOONNFFEERREENNCCEE treated for giardiasis, likely associated with this epidemic (2). Most of the affected patients responded well to standard treatment with antibiotics, although for some only one cure was not sufficient to clear the parasite from the body (4). After treatment some returned to their general practitioners because they experienced recurring symptoms (5). Following the Bergen giardiasis epidemic a few hundred developed post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome [PI-IBS] (8), and many still experienced abdominal symptoms and prolonged fatigue two years after the initial infection (9). Around 2005 and 2006, severely fatigued patients started to be referred to a neurologist specialising in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)/myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) for further investigation. The majority of the fatigued patients subsequently participated in an educational programme in the fall of 2007, focusing on following aspects: post-infectious prolonged fatigue (disease knowledge); physical activity; psychological aspects accompanying severe illness; nutrition; legal entitlements administered by the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration, as well as future plans for a rehabilitation programme aimed to facilitate recovery and return to work or education. After a thorough examination, 58 persons fulfilling the 1994 Fukuda et al. (10) criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome were consecutively enrolled in a prospective multidisciplinary research project (11). Data show that among this subgroup of severely fatigued persons, some had become acutely fatigued (25%), some after a few weeks (14.3%), and some more gradually over several months (60.7%). The multidisciplinary research project’s main objectives are: 1) Present the clinical findings for the group of patients with post-infectious fatigue syndrome and to determine symptomatic and functional status during a 5-year follow-up; 2) Explore and describe the patients’ own experience of living with this condition and being in a rehabilitation process. The research study being presented in this paper is focusing on the human aspects of living with giardiasis. References 1. Eikebrokk B, Gjerstad KO, Hindal S, Johanson G, Rostum J, Rytter E (2006). Giardia utbruddet i Bergen. Sluttrapport fra det eksterne evalueringsutvalget. (Report in Norwegian) http://www.sintef.com/ 2. Nygard K, Schimmer B, Sobstad O, Walde A, Tveit I, Langeland N, Hausken T & Aavitsland P. A large community outbreak of waterborne giardiasis - delayed detection in a non-endemic urban area. BMC Public Health, 2006;6:141 doi:10.1186/1471-2458-6-141 3. Rortveit G & Wensaas K-A. En moderne epidemi. [A modern epidemic] Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen, 2004;124(24):3178. 4. Steen K & Damsgaard E. Giardiaepidemien i 2004 og Bergen Legevakt. [The Giardia epidemic in 2004 and out-of-hours service in Bergen] Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen, 2007;127(2):1879. 5. Wensaas KA, Langeland N, Rortveit G. Prevalence of recurring symptoms after infection with Giardia lamblia in a non-endemic area. Scand J Prim Health Care, Dec 2008;12:1-6. 6. Nygard K. Giardiasis – et undervurdert problem i Norge. [Giardiasis--an underestimated problem in Norway?] Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen, 2007;127(2):155. 7. Wensaas K-A, Langeland N, Rortveit G. Avdekking av giardiasisutbruddet i Bergen 2004. [Uncovering the giardiasis-outbreak in Bergen 2004] Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen, 2007;127(17):2222-5. Invest in ME (Charity Nr. 1114035) Page 64/76
65 Publizr Home