Disease Information for Heterophyes intestinal fluke

Heterophyes heterophyes, a minute intestinal fluke-trematode : Adults release embryonated eggs each with a fully-developed miracidium, and eggs are passed in the host"s feces ; After ingestion by a suitable snail (first intermediate host), the eggs hatch and release miracidia which penetrate the snail’s intestine ; Genera Cerithidia and Pironella are important snail hosts in Asia and the Middle East respectively; The miracidia undergo several developmental stages in the snail, ie sporocysts , rediae , and cercariae ; Many cercariae are produced from each redia; The cercariae are released from the snail and encyst as metacercariae in the tissues of a suitable fresh/brackish water fish (second intermediate host) ; The definitive host becomes infected by ingesting undercooked or salted fish containing metacercariae ; After ingestion, the metacercariae excyst, attach to the mucosa of the small intestine and mature into adults (measuring 1-0 to 1-7 mm by 0-3 to 0-4 mm) ; In addition to humans, various fish-eating mammals (eg, cats and dogs) and birds can be infected by Heterophyes heterophyes ; Geographic Distribution:Egypt, the Middle East, and Far East; Clinical Features: The main symptoms are diarrhea and colicky abdominal pain; Migration of the eggs to the heart, resulting in potentially fatal myocardial and valvular damage, has been reported from the Philippines; Migration to other organs (eg, brain) has also been reported; Laboratory Diagnosis:The diagnosis is based on the microscopic identification of eggs in the stool; However, the eggs are indistinguishable from those of Metagonimus yokogawai and resemble those of Clonorchis and Opisthorchis; Treatment:Praziquantel* is the drug of choice

Heterophyes heterophyes is a digenetic trematode that resides in the small intestine of its host; It infects humans, as well as cats, foxes, and dogs; The parasite is one of the smallest trematodes infecting humans, averaging about 1;5 mm in length;

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