ABSTRACT

Gnathostomiasis, a helminthic zoonosis, is a dangerous foodborne disease caused by spiruroid roundworms of the genus Gnathostoma. The disease is endemic mainly in Asia and the Americas (e.g., Mexico, Thailand, Japan, and Vietnam). 1–4 Sporadic cases have been emerging among travelers who have returned from these well-known endemic areas 5,6 and from other tropical regions (e.g., Zambia 7 and Botswana 8 ). The possibility of gnathostomiasis occurring in Oceania needs attention, because indigenous cases have recently been reported from Australia 9 and New Zealand. 10