Metagonimiasis
Metagonimus yokogawai
Metagonimus yokogawai is a parasite belonging to the trematodes. It belongs to the subfamily Heterophyidae.
This small intestinal fluke in the adult stage has a pear-shaped body with a size of up to 2.5 x 0.75 mm. The eggs are 16 microns in the order of 27 x. The larvae hatch from the egg in the water and develop in water snails as an intermediate host. The cercariae can then get into carp -like fish. If these are then not cooked enough, they pass into the small intestine of humans or fish-eating mammals.
The disease is often asymptomatic; with massive infestation is abdominal pain shows up to diarrhea. Proof is in the stool. The eggs are similar to those of the Chinese liver fluke or cat liver fluke also those of. For treatment of praziquantel is used, after they had previously used tetrachloroethene.
Main distribution area is Asia, with China, Japan, Korea, Philippines, but also the Balkan peninsula.