Three Cases of Paragonimiasis in a Family

Abstract

Case 1A 51-year-old woman visited our hospital to seek treatment for general myalgia and lower extremity weakness that had persisted for 1 month. She had previously undergone magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations of her cervical and lumbar spines to determine the cause of her lower extremity weakness; however, the results provided no clear explanation. Her chief complaints had not been resolved by traditional rehabili- Three Cases of Paragonimiasis in a FamilyKorean J Parasitol. Vol. 47, No. 3: 281-285, September 2009 DOI: 10.3347/kjp.2009 Abstract: Paragonimiasis typically results from the consumption of raw or improperly cooked crustacea, especially crabs and crayfish. Although previously endemic in Korea, the prevalence of this disease decreased in the early 1970s because of educational campaigns and fewer intermediate hosts as a result of ecological changes. Recently, we were presented with a family where all members were infected with Paragonimus after ingestion of Kejang (= drunken crab). The mother was hospitalized for general myalgia and weakness first, followed by the father, who was hospitalized for dyspnea 2 month later. After the parents were diagnosed with paragonimiasis, we recommended their daughter to visit our hospital for a checkup, because they all had eaten freshwater crabs soaked in soybean sauce. She complained of generalized myalgia, fever, and pleuritic pain, and was also diagnosed with paragonimiasis. Peripheral blood of the 3 patients revealed hypereosinophilia, and computed tomography (CT) scans of their chests showed pleural effusion. The results of antibody tests by ELISA were positive for paragonimiasis. We report here the case series of familial paragonimiasis in a modern urban city, rather than in a typical endemic area.

Sensitive and rapid detection of Paragonimus westermani infection in humans and animals by loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP)

“…The disease is mainly endemic in China, Korea, Japan, and some other Asian countries, where people have the habit of eating raw or undercooked freshwater crabs or crayfish which may be infected with infective Paragonimus metacercariae ). Now, paragonimiasis is having a wilder distribution due to the movement of the world population and the pursuit of eating exotic and delicate foods (Liu et al 2008;Lane et al 2009;Sohn et al 2009;Ikehara et al 2010). Paragonimiasis is considered an important food-borne parasitic disease in China (Liu et al 2008;Zhou et al 2008).…”

Paragonimiasis in Children in Southwest China

“…Previously, paragonimiasis was endemic to villages. [ 8 ] Recently, due to transportation and economic development, more patients with paragonimiasis come from cities [ 9 ] ; therefore, special attention is necessary in this category of patients. Moreover, the diagnosis of paragonimiasis is difficult due to nonspecific clinical symptoms, particularly in children who cannot accurately describe their symptoms and dietary history.…”

Ectopic paragonimiasis from 400-year-old female mummy of Korea

“…Since paragonimiasis occurs in definitive hosts that have ingested intermediate hosts (Liu et al, 2008), the mummified female examined in this study must have eaten freshwater crustaceans in the raw or an undercooked state. Considering the preindustrial Korean custom of ingesting raw crayfish for alleviation of measles (Yun, 1960;Cho et al, 1997), or the many Korean dishes still prepared with raw crabs spiced with soybean sauces (Sohn et al, 2009), it is perhaps no wonder that the Joseon female had been infected by Paragonimus spp.…”