Fasciolopsis, Capitolo 69 in “Handbook of Foodborne disease”

This chapter provides state-of-the-art overviews on foodborne diseases caused by Fasciolopsis in relation to their etiology, biology, epidemiology, clinical presentation, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Fasciolopsis buski is the largest intestinal helminth of human parasites. This intestinal fluke causes fasciolopsiasis, a very common infectious disease in humans and other animals, especially pigs, in Asia, including China, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and also India. Fasciolopsis buski belongs to the subclass Digenea; adult digenean trematodes are endoparasites of vertebrates and constitute the largest group of Platyhelminthes, which includes more than 7,000 species. The clinical disease manifestations, the prolonged suffering of the individual sickness, the socioeconomic conditions, and the rural village origin can be related to parasite infections of Fasciolopsis. Fasciolopsiasis is a neglected tropical disease and remains a public health problem despite changes in eating habits, social and agricultural practices, the health education system, and ecological and environmental conditions.