Paragonimiasis cases recently found among immigrants in Japan.
OBJECTIVE
Paragonimiasis is a typical food-borne parasitic disease mainly endemic in Southeast Asia. In Japan, the disease has been re-emerging since the 1980s. In addition, recently we encountered an increasing number of immigrants with paragonimiasis in Japan. In this study we summarized the clinical features of immigrants.


METHODS
Among a total of 152 paragonimiasis cases referred to and diagnosed in our laboratory during 1998 to 2002, 18 were immigrants. Their clinical features including laboratory data such as eosinophilia and total IgE level were gathered from the consultation sheets from attending physicians.


RESULTS
Among a total of 18 immigrant cases, 16 were from China and 2 from Thailand. A majority of immigrants had eaten freshwater crabs. Most of the Chinese patients were infected as small groups of family and/or compatriots. Chest radiographic findings were variable and multiple lung lesions were seen in about one-half of the patients. About 80% of patients had peripheral blood eosinophilia and 65% had elevated serum IgE level.


CONCLUSIONS
The clinical features of paragonimiasis in immigrants in Japan were much more severe compared to those of Japanese patients.
Obara
Akio
A
Department of Infectious Diseases, Parasitic Diseases Division, School of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Kiyotake, Miyazaki 889-1692.
Nakamura-Uchiyama
Fukumi
F
Hiromatsu
Kenji
K
Nawa
Yukifumi
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000032:analysis; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004641:Emigration and Immigration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010237:Paragonimiasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010238:Paragonimus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011223:Praziquantel / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution
D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D011223:Praziquantel