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Faciolopsiasis: History, Description Mode of Infection, Treatment & Prevention

Fasciolopsiasis is an infection caused by the intestinal fluke Fasciolopsis buski. People acquire the infection by eating raw freshwater plants contaminated with the fluke's infective larvae. The fluke resides in the small intestine and causes symptoms like mild anemia, chronic diarrhea, and weakness. Diagnosis is made by finding the fluke's eggs in stool samples. Treatment involves administering praziquantel or other anthelmintic drugs. Infection can be prevented by thoroughly cooking freshwater plants before eating, avoiding use of untreated human waste as fertilizer, and maintaining good sanitation and hygiene.

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Samridhi Singh
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43 views

Faciolopsiasis: History, Description Mode of Infection, Treatment & Prevention

Fasciolopsiasis is an infection caused by the intestinal fluke Fasciolopsis buski. People acquire the infection by eating raw freshwater plants contaminated with the fluke's infective larvae. The fluke resides in the small intestine and causes symptoms like mild anemia, chronic diarrhea, and weakness. Diagnosis is made by finding the fluke's eggs in stool samples. Treatment involves administering praziquantel or other anthelmintic drugs. Infection can be prevented by thoroughly cooking freshwater plants before eating, avoiding use of untreated human waste as fertilizer, and maintaining good sanitation and hygiene.

Uploaded by

Samridhi Singh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Clinical assignment

FACIOLOPSIASIS
History, description mode of infection, treatment & prevention

SAMRIDHI SINGH

CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY

A098921028

BSC(H) M.B 4TH SEM


FASCIOLOPSIASIS
Fasciolopsiasis is infection with the intestinal
fluke Fasciolopsis buski, which is acquired by eating
aquatic plants. Trematode Fasciolopsis buski, the
largest intestinal fluke of humans (up to 7.5 cm in length),
much shorter than many tapeworm but flukes being
generally wider and unsegmented, the condition results in
relative weight loss as a minimum

HISTORY
Fasciolopsiasis is a disease caused by the largest intestinal fluke, Fasciolopsis
buski. The disease is endemic in the Far East and Southeast Asia. Human
acquires the infection after eating raw freshwater plants contaminated with
the infective metacercariae. There has been no report of fasciolopsiasis either
in man or in animal in Malaysia. We are reporting the first case of
fasciolopsiasis in Malaysia in a 39-year-old female farmer, a native of Sabah
(East Malaysia). This patient complained of cough and fever for a duration of
two weeks, associated with loss of appetite and loss of weight. She had no
history of traveling overseas. Physical examination showed pallor, multiple
cervical and inguinal lymph nodes and hepatosplenomegaly. Laboratory
investigations showed that she had iron deficiency anemia. There was
leukocytosis and a raised ESR. Lymph node biopsy revealed a caseating
granuloma. Stool examination was positive for the eggs of Fasciolopsis buski.
The eggs measure 140 x 72.5 microm and are operculated. In this case, the
patient did not present with symptoms suggestive of any intestinal parasitic
infections. Detection of Fasciolopsis buski eggs in the stool was an incidental
finding. She was diagnosed as a case of disseminated tuberculosis with
fasciolopsiasis and was treated with antituberculosis drugs and praziquantel,
respectively.
Systematic Position:
 Phylum – Platyhelminthes
 Class – Trematoda
 Order – Digenea
 Genus – Fasciolopsis
 Species – buski

Fasciolopsis buski is a trematode endoparasite, residing in the small intestine


of man and pig causing a disease called “fasciolopsiasis. This parasite is
considered to be the largest trematode and generally called as “large or giant
intestinal fluke”. Fasciolopsis buski was discovered by Busk in 1843. Lankester
in 1857 described the parasite under the name of Distoma buski. Looss in 1899
created the genus Fasciolopsis.

Geographical distribution:
It is an Asiatic trematode found in China, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia,
Formosa and India. In India the endemic area are Bengal and Assam. In Chinese
province of Kwangtung and Chekiang about 50% of the population suffers from
the infection of this parasite causing a serious health problem.

Mode of transmission:
Transmission of parasite occurs by swallowing the infected aquatic vegetation.
When infected plants or its fruits are peeled with the teeth and swallowed by
primary host infection is caused. Water itself can also be infective when drunk
unheated.

Pathology:
The disease caused by F. buski is known as fasciolopsiasis, which is
characterised by mild anaemia, chromic diarrhoea and asthenia (Lack of
strength and energy). The adult worm causes gastro-intestinal irritation,
nausea and vomiting. At the point of attachment of the parasite to the
intestinal wall, localized inflammation, haemorrhage and abscess may occur.
Incubation period is 3 to 6 months.

Treatment
Praziquantel is the drug of choice for treatment. Treatment is effective in early
or light infections. Heavy infections are more difficult to treat. Studies of the
effectiveness of various drugs for treatment of children with F. buski have
shown tetrachloroethylene as capable of reducing faecal egg counts by up to
99%. Other anthelmintics that can be used
include thiabendazole, mebendazole, levamisole and pyrantel
pamoate.Oxyclozanide, hexachlorophene and nitroxynil are also highly
effective.
praziquantel 25 mg/kg orally 3 times a day for 1 day.

Prevention
Infection can be prevented by immersing vegetables in boiling water for
a few seconds to kill the infective metacercariae, avoiding the use of
untreated feces ("nightsoil") as a fertilizer, and maintenance of proper
sanitation and good hygiene. Additionally, snail control should be
attempted.

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