Human case of Onchocerca dewittei japonica infection in Fukushima, Northeastern Honshu, Japan

Publication date: Available online 17 June 2019Source: Parasitology InternationalAuthor(s): Masako Fukuda, Shigehiko Uni, Takahiro Igari, Yasufumi Utsumi, Yasushi Otsuka, Jun Nakatani, Shoji Uga, Tatsuru Hara, Hideo Hasegawa, Hiroyuki TakaokaAbstractA 73-year-old man living in Kawamata-machi, Fukushima Prefecture, Northeastern Honshu, Japan, visited a hospital with complaints of a subcutaneous swelling that had developed on the back of his left hand. The nodule was surgically removed from the vagina fibrosa tendinis of his left forefinger. Based on the histopathological characteristics, the causative agent of this nodule was identified as a female Onchocerca dewittei japonica (Spirurida: Onchocercidae). The species identification was confirmed by cox1 gene sequencing of the worm tissues from paraffin-embedded sections of the nodule. Although 11 cases of zoonotic onchocercosis have previously been recorded in Kyushu and Western Honshu, Japan, the present findings represent the first human case of infection with O. dewittei japonica in Northeastern Honshu, Japan.Graphical abstract
Source: Parasitology International - Category: Parasitology Source Type: research