Paragonimus westermani metacercariae in two freshwater crab species in Kagoshima Prefecture,Japan, as a possible source of
infection in wild boars and sika deer |
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| Authors: | Azusa BANZAI Hiromu SUGIYAMA Mitsuko HASEGAWA Yasuyuki MORISHIMA Yasushi KAWAKAMI |
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| Institution: | 1)Laboratory of Environmental Biology, School of Life and Environmental Science, Azabu University, 1-17-71 Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara-shi, Kanagawa 252-5201, Japan;2)Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan;3)Department of Parasitology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki-shi, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan |
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| Abstract: | Paragonimiasis is a particular foodborne parasitic disease that is endemic to southern Kyushu, including Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. We previously detected Paragonimus westermani triploid larvae in meat samples obtained from wild boars and sika deer hunted in Akune City, Kagoshima Prefecture. These mammals act as paratenic hosts and their meat is a source of human paragonimiasis. Paratenic host mammals and humans become infected with the lung fluke, P. westermani, following consumption of second intermediate hosts, freshwater crab species, namely, Geothelphusa dehaani or Sawagani in Japanese, and Eriocheir japonica or Mokuzugani in Japanese. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the current infection status of P. westermani in freshwater crabs in Akune City. We collected freshwater crabs from 15 locations and found that the prevalence of P. westermani metacercariae was 1.6% for Sawagani (15 of 941 examined) and 22.1% for Mokuzugani (21 of 95 examined). Based on the morphological characterization of metacercariae and molecular analyses of the internal transcribed spacer 2 region and mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene region using PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism and sequencing, all metacercariae were identified as the triploid form of P. westermani. These results indicate that Sawagani and Mokuzugani serve as second intermediate hosts to maintain the life cycle of triploid P. westermani. Further, infection in crabs potentially leads to subsequent P. westermani infections in wild mammals, including wild boars and sika deer, both of which are considered important types of game meat in Japan. |
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| Keywords: | foodborne disease freshwater crab game meat lung fluke Paragonimus westermani triploid form |
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