Granulomatous, hepatolithiasis and hepatomegaly caused by Capillaria hepatica infection: first case report of Thailand.

This is the first case report in Thailand of a Capillaria hepatica infection causing a granulomatous hepatic lesion, bile duct dilatation, hepatolithiasis and hepatomegaly. The patient's chief complaint was abdominal pain with fever and chills. Imaging of the liver revealed a 3-cm mass in the postero-inferior sub-segment of the right lobe of the liver with bile duct dilatation. Right hepatectomy and cholecystectomy were performed. Gross pathology of the right hepatectomy revealed focal intrahepatic duct dilatation with prominent periductal fibrosis. The histopathological section revealed chronic inflammation and some granuloma formation surrounding the bile ducts, generalized portal infiltration, prominence of eosinophils and hepatolithiasis. Histopathotogical section revealed oblique sections of C. hepatica egg (size 35.4+/-6.38 microm in width) and brown amorphous pigment.

Nucleotide sequence of mitochondrial CO I and ribosomal ITS II genes of Opisthorchis viverrini in northeast Thailand.

The mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (CO I) gene and the second internal transcribed spacer region (ITS II) gene of Opisthorchis viverrini were compared among O. viverrini from various areas in northeast Thailand. The nucleotide sequences of partial CO I gene (417 bp) of O. viverrini differed among O. viverrini originated from Ubon Ratana, Leongpleuy, Ban Phai, Maha Sarakham, and Chatturat. These intraspecific variations were classified into 5 patterns but no area-specific pattem was observed. Amino acid sequence deduced from the nucleotide sequences of these genes was identical. Nucleotide sequences of a region of the O. viverrini ITS II gene (296 bp) from different areas were identical. However, they were different from those of Clonorchis sinensis, Haplorchis taichui, H. pumilio, Fasciola gigantica, Echinostoma malayanum and Centrocestus sp..

Natural infection of trematodes in Lymnaea (Radix) auricularia rubiginosa in water reservoirs in Amphoe Muang, Khon Kaen Province.

Lymnaea (Radix) auricularia rubiginosa (Michelin, 1831) was surveyed in 54 reservoirs of 18 districts in Amphoe Muang, Khon Kaen Province during February to May 1994. Lymnaeid snails were found in the water of 20 reservoirs, of which 16 reservoirs contained clear water and 4 turbid water. Two of the four turbid water reservoirs received drainage water from Khon Kaen Town. Two thousand four hundred and eight L. auricularia rubiginosa were collected and examined by shedding and crushing. Trematode infection occurred in 163 (6.77%) of 2,408 L. auricularia rubiginosa and some snails were infected with more than one cercarial species. Ninety-nine snails (4.11%) were infected with echinostomes, while mixed infection of echinostomes with Fasciola gigantica and with schistosomes was found in 5 snails (0.21%) and 2 snails (0.08%), respectively. Only 1 snail (0.04%), 19 snails (0.79%) and 37 snails (1.54%) were infected with F. gigantica, schistosomes and unidentified species, respectively. The mean size of infected snails was 6.89 +/- 2.02 mm (6.20-22.36) while the mean of sampled snails was 13.46 +/- 3.64 mm (4.00-26.55). The water plants which were found in reservoirs and presented with snails, were creeping water primose (Jusstaea repens), water lily (Nymphaea sp), water hyacinths (Eichornia crassipes) and grass.

Metacercariae isolated from cyprinoid fishes in Khon Kaen District by digestion technic.

Several kinds of fresh-water fishes collected from natural water resources in Khon Kaen District were digested with 0.25% pepsin A to obtain the infective stage or metacercariae of fish-borne trematodes. Most of them harbored at least 3 species of trematodes. Two families of medical trematodes, i.e., Family heterophyidae and Family Opisthorchiidae, were isolated. The heterophyid flukes consisted of Haplorchis taichui, H. pumilio and Centrocestus formosanus. Opisthorchis viverrini was the only parasite of the Family Opisthorchiidae found in these fish. Among these four species, H. taichui was predominant and found in all kinds of fish examined, especially Hampala dispar.

Eggshell morphology of the small eggs of human trematodes in Thailand.

Light and scanning electron micrographs of Opisthorchis viverrini, Haplorchis taichui, H. pumilio, A Phaneropsolus bonnei, and Prosthodendrium molenkampi eggs were studied. Under light microscopy. O. viverrini eggs had rough eggshells and prominent shoulders. H. taichui, H. pumilio were similar in shape and had smooth eggshells and prominent shoulders. H. pumilio eggs were bigger than H. taichui eggs. P. bonnei and P. molenkampi eggs had smooth eggshells and indistinct shoulders. P. bonnei eggs were thinner and bigger than P. molenkampi eggs. Some deformed eggs of O. viverrini and Haplorchis sp. were found and they had no embryos and indistinct opercula. Under scanning electron microscopy, O. viverrini eggs looked like musk-melon skin; they had prominent shoulders and long knobs. H. taichui eggs had curly, thread-like ridges and prominent shoulders and knobs. H. pumilio eggs had streched ridges, like Chinese bitter mormodica, and prominent shoulders. P. bonnei and P. molenkampi eggs had smooth eggshells and small shoulders and knobs.

Influence of water current on the distribution of Opisthorchis viverrini infection in northeastern villages of Thailand.

The prevalences of Opisthorchis viverrini infection in the villages on the banks of rivers and those far from the rivers were studied in Loei and Nong Khai Provinces in Thailand. Most of the people examined in the present study were agriculturalists. The overall prevalence of O. viverrini infection was 41.3%. The prevalence of infection in males and in females in the villages far from the rivers were 52.6% and 51.7%, respectively, while the percent of people in the villages on the banks with infection were 27.9% and 21.7%, respectively. Prevalence of infection among the people residing far from the rivers was higher than those residing on the banks. This was observed despite the higher recording of raw fish consumption in villages on the banks. Infection level increased sharply in the age-group 6-10 years old among people residing far from the rivers. High prevalences of infection were observed in age groups from 11 to 50 years. Both types of villages had a similar proportion of houses with sanitary latrines.

Acute cholecystitis and Fasciola sp. infection in Thailand: report of two cases.

Two cases of fascioliasis gigantica from Northeast Thailand presenting with cholecystitis and gall stones were reported. Both cases complained of abdominal pain. On laparotomy the worms were found. In one case five worms were recovered during bile duct exploration and bile drainage; eggs were also revealed in the bile. In the other case of ectopic fascioliasis one young adult worm was found in a nodule which adhered to liver and diaphragm. The parasites were identified as Fasciola gigantica.

Scanning electron microscopy of the early third-stage larvae of Gnathostoma spinigerum.

Scanning electron microscopic observations were made on the early third stage (eL3) larvae of Gnathostoma spinigerum (Sakolnakhon, northeast Thailand) from 3-week-old infected cyclops (Mesocyclops leuckarti). The morphological surfaces of the anterior end, head spine, body cuticle, amphid, papillae, posterior end of larvae were described and compared with the advance third-stage (aL3) larvae.

Serodiagnosis of human gnathostomiasis.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was evaluated for serodiagnosis of human ocular and visceral gnathostomiasis in comparison to an indirect haemagglutination (IHA) and precipitin (PPT) tests. The ELISA antibody titers were found to range from 1:400 to 1:51,200 against somatic and 1:200 to 1:25,600 against excretory-secretory (ES) antigens. When sera were tested at single dilutions, the ELISA was positive in 7 of 8 gnathostomiasis cases while only 5 and 3 were positive by IHA and PPT respectively. The overall specificity of the ELISA was 96.7% and 97.4% with somatic and ES antigens respectively. Since somatic and ES antigens produced similar ELISA results, either can be used for diagnostic purpose. It was suggested that the ELISA was a reliable serodiagnostic test for human gnathostomiasis.

Scanning electron microscopy of adult Echinostoma malayanum.

Scanning electron microscopy observations of E. malayanum adult obtained from small intestines of infected rats was made. The number of collar spines were 41. The features observed were a pair of corner spines (3 oral and 2 aboral) total 10; a pair of lateral collar spines (10 spines each side); total 20; dorsal collar spines (5 oral and 6 aboral) total 11. Sensory papillae were found more densely situated on the circumoral disc around the oral sucker and on the ventral sucker. Other sensory organs, dome shaped, found only on the circumoral disc. The scales appear mainly on the ventral surface. The microvilli are present on the tegument where the scales occur, while the other part of dorsal side had pitted tegument.