title: Four human cases of Acanthotrema felis (Digenea: Heterophyidae) infection in Korea.
abstract: Acanthotrema felis is an intestinal trematode of cats originally reported from the Republic of Korea. Only 1 human case infected with a single adult worm has been previously recorded. In the present study, we report 4 human cases infected with a total of 10 worms recovered after anthelmintic treatment and purging. All 4 patients reside in coastal areas of Jeollanam-do, Korea, and have consumed brackish water fish including the gobies, Acanthogobius flavimanus. The worms averaged 0.47 mm in length and 0.27 mm in width, and had 3 sclerites on the ventrogenital sac; 1 was short and thumb-like, another was long and blunt-ended, and the 3rd was long and broad-tipped. They were identified as A. felis Sohn, Han, & Chai, 2003. Surveys on coastal areas to detect further human cases infected with A. felis are required.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 110-799, Korea.
authors.forename: Jong-Yil
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Chai
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 110-799, Korea.
authors.forename: Jae-Lip
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan 330-714, Korea.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000977:Antiparasitic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008853:Microscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D011223:Praziquantel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D056910:Republic of Korea; D014200:Trematoda / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014201:Trematode Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology*
chemical_list: D000977:Antiparasitic Agents; D011223:Praziquantel
keywords: Acanthotrema felis; heterophyid fluke; human infection; intestinal fluke