ABSTRACT
Tapeworms of the genus Spirometra are Diphyllobothriidean cestodes. Species of the genus Spirometra, including S. erinaceieuropaei, S. decipiens, S. mansoni, S. ranarum, and S. mansonoides, are all intestinal parasites that infect canine and feline hosts. Humans can be infected by procercoid or plerocercoid larvae of the genus Spirometra, which develop in copepods, and reptiles or amphibians, respectively. Human infection (sparganosis) most often occurs following the ingestion of raw or undercooked meat containing second intermediate or paratenic hosts, or by placing poultices with skins of frogs or snakes on eyes, wounds, and other regions, or by ingesting water contaminated with procercoid-infected crustaceans. Human sparganosis is a worldwide parasitic zoonosis that can result in serious clinical disease. Of more than 1,600 cases reported to date, most are found in east and southeast Asia, while sporadic cases occur in South America, Europe, and Africa. Precise identification of spirometrid tapeworms is instrumental to the effective control and prevention of human sparganosis.
