Metagonimus Yokogawai (Intestinal Fluke)

Metagonimus Yokogawai (Intestinal Fluke) – General Information

There are a large number of trematodes which can determine the appearance and development of some diseases in humans. These trematodes can be intestinal, in which case they lead to the appearance of Metagonimus Yokogawai (Intestinal Fluke) or they can be schistosomes, in which case they develop in the genitourinary tract and the gastrointestinal tract. The intestinal trematodes can be described as hermaphroditic flat worms; their length can vary a lot from a few millimeters to more than 10 centimeters. However, the good part is the fact that, from more than 70 species of intestinal worms, only a small number of species can actually lead to the appearance of an infection.

Metagonimus Yokogawai (Intestinal Fluke) is characterized by the appearance of an ulceration or an inflammation, always combined with a mucous secretion in the area where the worm attached. In the case of a more severe case, the sufferer can even experience a malabsorption, an intestinal obstruction, an impaired absorption of vitamin B-12 or a protein-losing enteropathy. 
The parasite which causes this particular disease is a worm which usually measures between 1 and 2.5 millimeters in length and between 0.5 and 0.7-8 millimeters in width. The particular thing about this parasite is the fact that it presents a ventral sucker in the right part of its body. An interesting thing about Metagonimus Yokogawai (Intestinal Fluke) is the fact that it can also spread to other organs; however, the prognosis for this disease is usually good, except for those cases when the patients experience embolization.  

Metagonimus Yokogawai (Intestinal Fluke) – Symptoms

Humans can get infected with this disease by consuming contaminated foods and water; products are, in this case, the intermediate host. The most common foods which are contaminated and can then transmit the worm are fish, vegetables and snails. In most of the cases, those who suffer from Metagonimus Yokogawai (Intestinal Fluke) present no particular signs and symptoms; however, after a certain period, sufferers may experience moderate symptoms, such as malaise, loose stools, abdominal pain and weight loss. The next stage of the evolution of the inflammation is the incubation period, when the sufferer can present symptoms such as constipation, edema of the face, edema of the body’s extremities, a feeling of burning, generalized abdominal pain, nausea, anorexia, vomiting and hunger pangs. If the disease is not diagnosed not even in this stage, the infection can result in an embolization of the eggs which can lead to a chronic heart failure, myocarditis or cerebral emboli. However, the signs and symptoms which characterize this disease are actually quite common and they can also indicate the presence of another type of fluke, such as a liver fluke. The most striking difference is the fact that, in the case of a liver fluke, the signs evolve more quickly and they are more severe. Metagonimus Yokogawai (Intestinal Fluke) is more common in the poor regions of the world, where the natural conditions offer a large number of possible hosts. The highest frequency of this disease was reported as areas such as Vietnam, China, parts of Asia and India.

Metagonimus Yokogawai (Intestinal Fluke) – Treatment

If you notice the presence of any of the signs and symptoms presented above, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible in order to obtain a sure diagnosis and to benefit from the best way of treatment. In most of the cases, in order to establish the diagnosis, the doctor will perform one or more of the following tests: a stool examination, in order to determine the possible presence of an adult worm or of some eggs, a blood test, in order to determine whether the patient suffers from anemia as well and a physical examination. Apart from these, in order to find out if the patient suffers or not from Metagonimus Yokogawai (Intestinal Fluke), the doctor can also choose to perform a complementary test: the iodine, merthiolate, formalin method, which can give information about the presence of intestinal parasites or the polymerase chain reaction, which can identify more than five species of worms. 

After the diagnosis is established, the doctor has to choose the best way of treatment, considering the patient’s general health condition and the stage of the disease. In most of the cases, however, the infection cures fast, without any therapy; on the other hand, the doctor will probably choose to administrate the sufferers some drugs in order to kill the worms and cure the infection in a shorter period of time. The most common drugs which are prescribed are praziquantel and bithionol. Praziquantel is administrated to those who suffer from Metagonimus Yokogawai (Intestinal Fluke) in order to kill the parasites inside the body.  The drug increases the permeability of the cells of the worms, causing a loss of the intracellular calcium and therefore the paralysis of their musculature. Then, the phagocytes are attached to the worms and they die. However, the administration of this drug can be quite dangerous, as it can lead to the destruction of the worms within eyes and this can lead to irreparable lesions.   
Apart from these typical drugs, the doctor can also prescribe some antispasmodics agents for those who suffer from Metagonimus Yokogawai (Intestinal Fluke); these medicines can reduce the abdominal pain. In the case of those sufferers who also present anemia, the doctor can prescribe iron supplements which can be administrated intravenously, if necessarily. For a better absorption of iron, the patient should also be administrated vitamin C.   

Considering all these measures which can be taken to treat those who suffer from Metagonimus Yokogawai (Intestinal Fluke), the infection should cure within a year. However, after the treatment the patients are usually recommended to follow a certain diet and to adjust their life-style in order to avoid other infections. The raw vegetables should be cleaned carefully and they should be kept in boiling water a few moments in order to avoid an infection; on the other hand, meat should always be completely cooked.  Even though the treatment for Metagonimus Yokogawai (Intestinal Fluke) is neither expensive nor dangerous, the most important thing which a person can do is to take all the safety measures in order to avoid a possible contamination.