Abstract
To the editor: Opisthorchiasis comprises diverse clinical manifestations caused by infections with Opisthorchis felineus or O. viverrini liver flukes, which are transmitted by eating infected raw or undercooked fish and other aquatic products. In regions outside Western Europe where human opisthorchiasis is endemic, the disease is mainly described as being chronic and asymptomatic. Recent studies indicate cases of O. felineus infection in the Mediterranean region, particularly Italy (1–4). Patients with acute infection have signs/symptoms ranging from fever to hepatitis-like signs/symptoms (e.g., pain in upper right abdominal quadrant, weakness, fatigue, loss of appetite, diarrhea, weight loss); sign/symptom onset occurs ≈2–3 weeks after infection, depending on the number of ingested flukes (2–4).
Highlights
Murrell, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Rd, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA; email: kdmurrell@
Acute opisthorchiasis is a feature of O. felineus infection that is not often reported for other trematode infections
Opisthorchiasis is characterized by hepatosplenomegaly, abdominal tenderness, eosinophilia, chills, and fever [2]; left untreated, it can lead to obstructive jaundice, cholangitis, cholecystitis, and intraabdominal masses [1,2,4]
Summary
To the Editor: Opisthorchiasis comprises diverse clinical manifestations caused by infections with Opisthorchis felineus or O. viverrini liver flukes, which are transmitted by eating infected raw or undercooked fish and other aquatic products. In 2010, two travelers from the Netherlands who ate raw tench near Lake Bolsena in Tuscany, Italy, were infected [8]. We describe 3 additional cases of O. felineus infection in Dutch travelers who ate raw fish near Lake Bolsena.
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