Molecular Diagnosis of Human Taenia martis Eye Infection

Abstract

Abstract. Taenia martis, a tapeworm harbored in the intestine of mustelids, is a rarely encountered zoonotic cysticercosis pathogen. The larval stage closely resembles the Taenia solium cysticercus, but the natural host and thus the epidemiology of the disease is different. We here report a human eye infection diagnosed molecularly in a previously healthy female German patient. The case represents the third human infection described worldwide; the two previous cases were also European, involving eye and brain.

Parasites in brains of wild rodents (Arvicolinae and Murinae) in the city of Leipzig, Germany

“…However, there are reports of T. martis as the causative agent of human neurocysticercosis (Brunet et al, 2015; Eberwein et al, 2013). Interestingly, one case report refers to the removal of a T. martis- cysticercus from the eye of a woman living in a rural area near the city of Hanover (Koch et al, 2016).…”

Taenia martis Neurocysticercosis-Like Lesion in Child, Associated with Local Source, the Netherlands

“…No specific serologic test is available for T. martis infection, and the extent of cross-reactivity between T. solium and T. martis antibodies in available serology tests is unknown. Serologic test results for the 6 adult patients showed mixed signals, including positive signals against Echinococcus multilocularis crude larval antigen extract (that could not be repeated in confirmatory assays) ( 5 ) and T. solium ( 2 , 5 ), although others have reported negative serologic test results for those parasites ( 3 , 4 ). Confirming the diagnosis requires detecting parasite DNA by PCR and sequencing to differentiate between Taenia species.…”

Case Report: Molecular Identification of Larval Taenia martis Infection in the Pouch of Douglas

“…With the more widespread application of molecular diagnostic tests, more unusual zoonotic larval tapeworm infections are continuously detected. 2,3 Accordingly, the detection of previous larval T. martis infections in humans was already attributed to these new molecular diagnostic strategies and probably does not represent an emergence of this zoonotic disease. 4 In this report, we describe the fifth human infection worldwide with larval T. martis.…”

“…No serological cross-reactions for E. granulosus and E. multilocularis (crude antigen ELISAs), and T. solium (immunoblot) were seen in the eye infections. 2,5 Apparently, when T. martis larvae are found in special anatomical compartments, such as the eye where immunological surveillance is naturally low, serological reactions are undetectable-at least when antigens of related parasites are used. By contrast, severe inflammation was seen in our case and a previously reported infection 6 in the peritoneum.…”