Human Acanthocephaliasis: a Thorn in the Side of Parasite Diagnostics
Blaine A. Mathison, Ninad Mehta, Marc Roger Couturier
Abstract
Acanthocephala is a phylum of parasitic pseudocoelomates that infect a wide range of vertebrate and invertebrate hosts and can cause zoonotic infections in humans. The zoologic literature is quite rich and diverse; however, the human-centric literature is sparse, with sporadic reports over the past 70 years. Causal agents of acanthocephaliasis in humans are reviewed as well as their biology and life cycle. This review provides the first consolidated and summarized report of human cases of acanthocephaliasis based on English language publications, including epidemiology, clinical presentation, treatment, and diagnosis and identification.
Topics & Concepts
BiologyAcanthocephalaPhylumIdentification (biology)Parasite hostingHuman PathologyZoologyPathologyMedicineEcologyHelminthsDiseasePaleontologyBacteriaWorld Wide WebComputer scienceParasite Biology and Host InteractionsDermatological diseases and infestationsYersinia bacterium, plague, ectoparasites research