A REVIEW OF DIPHYLLOBOTHRIASIS: AN EMERGING AND RE-EMERGING PARASITC ZOONOSIS

Abstract

Diphyllobothriasis also called “fish tapeworm, the broad tapeworm, Jewish House wife’s disease and Scandinavian House wife’s disease” is an intestinal parasitic zoonotic infection caused by the cestode Diphyllobothrium. 14 species of Diphyllobothrium have been described but only four species D. latum, D. pacificum, D.denderiticum, D. nihonkaienseare commonly known to infect human, fish eating mammals(Dogs, Cats, Foxes, Bears) and fish eating birds. D. latum is the most common cause of diphyllobothriasis. It is transmitted to humans by the ingestion of fish that harbor infectious larvae of the genus Diphyllobothrium causing a wide-ranging spectrum of diseases and severity. More than 20 million humans are estimated to be infected worldwide.The second intermediate hosts include both freshwater and marine fish. At the beginning of the past century, diphyllobothriasis was widespread in endemic areas with lakes and Rivers, but it apparently disappeared since the early 1980s. In the early 2000, it has re-emerged. The increasing popularity of cold, smoked, marinated or raw fish products seems to be the main reason for the return of diphyllobothriasis. Although D. latum has long been studied, many aspect of its biology, epidemiology, distribution, clinical manifestation, diagnosis and control remain patchy and require intensive research. However, it is hoped that warning of the potential risk of re-emergence of diphyllobothriosis due to changing eating habits, globalization of the food market and climatic change will help in a more effective control of this parasitic disease on the global scale.