|
|
Article: Human illnesses caused by Opisthorchis felineus flukes, Italy.(DISPATCHES)
- Article from:
- Emerging Infectious Diseases
- Article date:
- December 1, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 U.S. National Center for Infectious Diseases. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Opisthorchis felineus is a trematode that is transmitted to humans through the consumption of raw freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae. Worldwide, the number of cases of human infection has been estimated to be 1.2 million (1). A high prevalence has been reported in Byelorussia, Russia, and the Ukraine. In the European Union, sporadic human infections have been documented in Germany, where the parasite has been detected in red foxes and cats, and in Greece (2-6).
In Italy, O. felineus was first described in cats and dogs in Pisa (Tuscany Region) and in cats in Turin (Piedmont Region), yet for over 100 years the infection was not detected or reported in animals ...