Locally acquired infection with Dibothriocephalus nihonkaiense (=Diphyllobothrium nihonkaiense) in France: the importance of molecular diagnosis

Abstract

Diphyllobothriasis is a parasitic fish-borne disease caused by tapeworms of the genus Dibothriocephalus (=Diphyllobothrium). The majority of reported cases are attributed to D. latum, based on morphological identification of eggs or proglottids. However, numerous reports in recent years suggested that other Dibothriocephalus species could be involved in human infections, mainly after consumption of salmonid fish. Among these, D. nihonkaiense has been predominantly reported from Eastern Asia and probably underestimated in the rest of the world. We report here a clinical case of D. nihonkaiense in a French patient (without history of travel abroad) after consumption of salmon. Suspected on morphological characteristics, the final identification of D. nihonkaiense was performed using molecular methods by sequencing nad1, cox1, and 5.8S rRNA (containing ITS1 and 2) genes sequences. The patient was successfully treated by a single dose of praziquantel. Reports of diphyllobothriasis due to D. nihonkaiense are rare outside Asia, but worldwide demand of seafood could lead to the globalization of cases and reflect the need to monitor the distribution of Dibothriocephalus species. Thus, clinical parasitologists should be aware of this risk and able to raise the possibility of infections by non-endemic Dibothriocephalus species in order to use the proper molecular tools.

Keywords: Cestode; Dibothriocephalus nihonkaiense; Fish; France; Human.