Paragonimus sp. 1 07.jpg

Taxonomy: s.f. Troglotrematoidea
Animal: Paragonimus sp. 1 07.jpg
Sites: Gut
Comment:
Paragonimus sp. egg in faeces 79 x 48 microns operculate and unembryonated. This was from an Australian patient who returned from travelling in Ecuador, South America. Paragonimus eggs can be confused with D. latum eggs (65-70 x 45-50 microns and smooth shell, in N. Europe, Siberia, N.America) ) because of size overlap but the Paragonimus eggs have opercular shoulders and a marked thickening of the shell at the abopercular end, not seen in D.latum eggs (Garcia and Bruckner,1997). The patient was asymptomatic although she did have an abnormal brassy cough. The eggs are most likely those of the P.mexicanus group considering the appearance of the eggs and her travel itinerary. (P.westermanni eggs 70-100 x 38-50 microns found in SE Asia, China, Japan and USSR) Her chest Xray was normal but it would have been early in her infection (allowing 70 days for the adults to mature and reach the lungs and probably insufficient time for calcification to occur). It is very important to know the time interval between the travel and test and know the incubation time for the parasites to ensure the test is performed at a suitable time to detect the parasitic infection for a correct diagnosis to be made)

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