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Opisthorchis
Epidemiology:
- inhabits the biliary system of humans & other fish-eating animals including dogs & cats
- acquired through ingestion of infectious metacercariae in raw or undercooked freshwater fish
- larvae migrate up into the liver bile ducts where they grow up to 25 mm in length
- the parasites may live 20 years
- they produce small eggs which are shed into the bile & subsequently passed in the stools
Clinical manifestations:
1) infections are often asymptomatic
2) large numbers of flukes may cause inflammation of the bile ducts, hyperplasia, fibrosis & hepatic cirrhosis
Complications: cholangiocarcinoma linked to longterm infection
Diagnosis:
1) recovery of small, brown, embryonate, operculate eggs from feces
2) eggs are 30 x 12 um
Management:
-> praziquantel 25 mg/kg TID for 1 day
Specific
opisthorchiasis
Opisthorchis felineus
Opisthorchis guayaquilensis (Amphimerus pseudofelineus)
Opisthorchis viverrini
General
Opisthorchidae
Properties
KINGDOM: animal
PHYLUM: helminth
References
- Clinical Diagnosis & Management by Laboratory Methods,
19th edition, J.B. Henry (ed), W.B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia,
PA. 1996, pg 1290-91
- Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 13th ed.
Isselbacher et al (eds), McGraw-Hill Inc. NY, 1994, pg 929