Journal of Tropical Diseases & Public Health

Abstract

Tropical Sprue

John J Alvarez, Jonathan Zaga-Galante, Adriana Vergara-Suarez and Charles W Randall

Tropical Sprue has been a disease of decreasing significance over the past few decades. It’s been postulated that easier access to antibiotics, improved sanitation and better hygiene practices around the globe may account for this apparent decline in frequency of cases seen today. Despite such speculation, it is unknown if the incidence of Tropical Sprue is truly declining, or if cases are simply being under-reported or perhaps even misdiagnosed. In reality, the current literature supports the theory that Tropical Sprue continues to be a significant cause of malabsorption in certain geographical areas of the world. This study aims to review the existing body of literature on Tropical Sprue and to provide a contemporary look into the disease and how it is managed today.