Intestinal Flukes Differential Diagnoses
- Author: Asim A Jani, MD, MPH, FACP; Chief Editor: Michael Stuart Bronze, MD more...
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| Infection | Source | Geographic Distribution |
| Fasciolopsiasis | Freshwater plants (water caltrop, water chestnut) | China, Thailand, Bangladesh, India |
| Echinostomiasis | Tadpoles, freshwater snails, fish, frogs | Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand |
| Heterophyiasis | Fish | Egypt, Iran, Tunisia, Turkey |
| Metagonimiasis | Fish (cyprinid) | Far East, Spain, Eastern Europe |
| *Adapted with permission from Tribble D, Wagner KF. Trematode infections. Infectious Disease Practice. 1996;20:69-73. | ||
| Infection | Source | Clinical Features |
| Alaria americana | Undercooked frog legs | Disseminated fatal thoracic, gastrointestinal, retroperitoneal, and CNS manifestations; intraocular infections |
| Echinostomiasis (16 species) | Freshwater fish, aquatic plants, clams, snails, mollusks, contact with aquatic birds | May be asymptomatic; mild abdominal pain, bloating, dyspepsia, diarrhea, eosinophilia |
| Fibricola species | Tadpoles | Abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, eosinophilia |
| Fasciolopsis species | Water chestnut, water calthrop, water bamboo, water morning glory lotus and water hyacinth | May be symptomatic; may be subclinical; gastritis, nausea, diarrhea, eosinophilia; generalized edema in persons with heavy infection burden |
| Gastrodiscoides species | Vegetables, aquatic plants | Often asymptomatic; may manifest as abdominal pain and diarrhea in severe cases |
| Watsonius watsoni | Water bamboo | Severe diarrhea |
| Fischoederius elongates | Aquatic plants | Epigastric pain and vomiting |
| Heterophyes species | Mullets, fish; brackish water | May be asymptomatic; intestinal mucosal disease, ulcer-related abdominal pain, dyspepsia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss |
| Gymnophalloides seoi | Oysters | Fever, abdominal pain, anorexia, weight loss, diarrhea, pancreatitis |
| Carneophallus brevicaeca | Shrimp | Fatal when infection involves CNS and heart |
| Brachylaima ruminae | Poultry, rats | Abdominal pain, diarrhea |
| Metagonimiasis species | Fish (ayu, golden carp) | May be asymptomatic; intestinal mucosal disease, ulcer-related abdominal pain, dyspepsia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss |
| Nanophyetus salmincola | Undercooked fish (eg, salmon, trout, steelhead) | May be symptomatic; mild diarrhea, abdominal pain |
| *Adapted from Berger SA, Marr JS. Human Parasitic Diseases Sourcebook. 1st ed. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett; 2006. | ||

