Human infections with Dicrocoelium dendriticum in Kyrgyzstan: the tip of the iceberg?
Jeandron, Aurelie;
Rinaldi, Laura;
Abdyldaieva, Gulnara;
Usubalieva, Jumagul;
Steinmann, Peter;
Cringoli, Giuseppe;
Utzinger, Jürg;
(2011)
Human infections with Dicrocoelium dendriticum in Kyrgyzstan: the tip of the iceberg?
The Journal of parasitology, 97 (6).
pp. 1170-1172.
ISSN 0022-3395
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1645/GE-2828.1
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Dicrocoelium dendriticum is the causative agent of a rare food-borne zoonosis of the human biliary tract, dicrocoeliasis, for which few human prevalence data are available. Infection occurs through the ingestion of ants containing metacercariae, whereas pseudo-infections (presence of D. dendriticum eggs in stool in the absence of adult worms) are due to the consumption of infected animal liver. Here, results from a cross-sectional survey carried out among 138 children aged 2-15 yr in a peri-urban area of Kyrgyzstan are reported. Each child provided 1 stool sample that was subjected to the FLOTAC technique. Eggs of D. dendriticum were diagnosed in 11 children (prevalence 8.0%; 95% confidence interval 4.5-13.7%). Although no distinction could be made between true and pseudo-infections, the prevailing animal husbandry system and the diet and hygienic conditions of the study area suggest that the social-ecological system in Kyrgyzstan is conducive for human transmission of D. dendriticum. There is a need to investigate the epidemiology of dicrocoeliasis in Kyrgyzstan, placing emphasis on the distinction between true and pseudo-infections.