Clonorchis
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
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
- infections are often asymptomatic
- large numbers of flukes may cause inflammation of the bile ducts, hyperplasia, fibrosis & hepatic cirrhosis
Diagnostic criteria
- recovery of small, brown, embryonate, operculate eggs from feces
- eggs are 30 x 12 uM
Complications
cholangiocarcinoma linked to longterm infection
Management
- praziquantel 25 mg/kg TID for 1 day