Human cases of infection with Paragonimus miyazaki (Trematoda: Troglotrematidae) in Japan – A bibliographical review – *
This paper reviews significant literature on human cases of infection with lung fluke, Paragonimus miyazakii occurred in Japan during the period 1974 to 1999. A total of 153 patients (122 male, 18 female and 13, unknown) had been reported in the relevant literature. Furthermore, 25 unexplained cases were cited in the literature. The pertinent data of the 153 cases were summarized in six tables. The patients were distributed widely in Japan, although relatively high incidence was found mainly in Kanto District ; 42 cases (27.5%) in Tokyo, 35 cases (22.9%) in Kanagawa and 18 cases (11.8%) in Yamanashi Prefectures. The age of the patients ranged from 6 to 77 years, and most of the patients were from the twenties to forties (85.5%). Concerning the sex distribution, it was higher in male (87.0%) than in female (13.0%). The characteristic symptoms of the patients appeared between 1 month to 2 years after ingestion of live fresh-water crab, Geothelphusa dehaani or raw meat of Japanese wild boar, Sus scrofa leucomystax infected with P. miyazakii larvae. The most common infection site was thoracic cavity, and in minor instances, agential worms were found as heterotopic parasitism in cranial cavity, subcutaneous tissue and anterior chamber of eyes. Main complaints of the patients were chest pain (33.3%), coughing (30.5%) and fever (10.6%). The clinical symptoms were pleural effusion (73.2%) , spontaneous pneumothorax (26.8%) and abnormal shadow (22.8%) in chest X-ray. Additionally, marked eosinophilia in peripheral blood was also found in the majority of the patients. Both bithionol (Bitin(R)) and praziquantel (Biltricide(R)) treatments were very effective against P. miyazakii infection. Clinical symptoms of paragonimiasis in the patients entirely disappeared within 12 months after the treatment and the number of eosinophils in the blood returned rapidly to normal level. (Accepted on March 24, 2000) Kawasaki Igakkaishi 26(2) : 65-82, 2000
