title: The first confirmed case of Diphyllobothrium latum in Brazil.
abstract: Diphyllobothriasis is an infection of the small intestine by the broad tapeworm Diphyllobothrium sp. The associated symptomatology is nonspecific, but megaloblastic anemia is a well-described complication. Although the infection is common in temperate regions, descriptions in South America have so far been limited to Chile, Peru, and a few cases in Argentina. This paper presents the first confirmed Brazilian case of diphyllobothriasis. A 29-years-old woman living in Salvador (state of Bahia) apparently acquired the infection from eating sushi. The diagnosis was based on fecal examination that revealed a large quantity of operculated eggs. A single dose of praziquantel (600 mg) was sufficient to cure the infection.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisa Gonçalo Moniz, Fiocruz, Salvador, BA, Brasil. fneves@cpqgm.fiocruz.br
authors.forename: F L N
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: de Faro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D004169:Diphyllobothriasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D004170:Diphyllobothrium / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D005396:Fish Products / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D011223:Praziquantel / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics; D011223:Praziquantel