Diphyllobothriasis Associated with Eating Raw Pacific Salmon

摘要

The incidence of human infection with the broad tape-worm Diphyllobothrium nihonkaiensehas been increas-ing in urban areas of Japan and in European countries. D. nihonkaienseis morphologically similar to but genetically distinct from D. latumand exploits anadromous wild Pacific salmon as its second intermediate host. Clinical signs in hu-mans include diarrhea and discharge of the strobila, which can be as long as 12 m. The natural life history and the geographic range of the tapeworm remain to be elucidated, but recent studies have indicated that the brown bear in the northern territories of the Pacific coast region is its natural fi-nal host. A recent surge of clinical cases highlights a change in the epidemiologic trend of this tapeworm disease from one of rural populations to a disease of urban populations worldwide who eat seafood as part of a healthy diet