Heterophyiasis

• An infection that is caused by the intestinal fluke heterophyes heterophyes, which is most commonly found in Asia, the middle east, and Africa.
• It is transmitted via consumption of contaminated raw or undercooked fish.
• Symptoms typically range from asymptomatic to intermittent abdominal pain and diarrhea, with occasional ectopic infection.

Causal Agents

The trematode Heterophyes heterophyes, a minute intestinal fluke.

Life Cycle

Heterophyes Life Cycle

• Adults release embryonated eggs each with a fully-developed miracidium, and eggs are passed in the host’s feces.
• After ingestion by a suitable snail, the first intermediate host, the eggs hatch and release miracidia which penetrate the snail’s intestine.
• Genera Cerithidia and Pironella are important snail hosts in Asia and the Middle East respectively.
• The miracidia undergo several developmental stages in the snail, i.e. sporocysts, rediae, and cercariae.
• Many cercariae are produced from each redia. The cercariae are released from the snail and encyst as metacercariae in the tissues of a suitable fresh/brackish water fish (second intermediate host).
• The definitive host becomes infected by ingesting undercooked or salted fish containing metacercariae. After ingestion, the metacercariae exocyst, attach to the mucosa of the small intestine and mature into adults.
• In addition to humans, various fish-eating mammals (e.g., cats and dogs) and birds can be infected by Heterophyes heterophyes.

Heterophyes egg

Geographic Distribution

Egypt, the Middle East, and Far East.

Clinical Presentation

• The main symptoms are diarrhea and colicky abdominal pain.
• Migration of the eggs to the heart, resulting in potentially fatal myocardial and valvular damage, has been reported from the Philippines. Migration to other organs (e.g., brain) has also been reported.