Orphanet: Diphyllobothriasis

(*) Required fields.

You are (*)

If you have selected the “Other” category, please specify which type of user you are: *

Email address: *

Topic of your comment *

Epidemiology data

Clinical signs

Nomenclature and/or coding

Your message *

(3000 characters remaining)

Attention

Only comments seeking to improve the quality and accuracy of information on the Orphanet website are accepted. For all other comments, please send your remarks via contact us. Only comments written in English can be processed.

Orphanet doesn't provide personalised answers. To get in touch with the Orphanet team, please contact

Information provided in your contribution (including your email address) will be stocked in .CSV files that will be sent as an email to Orphanet's teams. These emails might be conserved in the teams' mailboxes, in our backoffice servers but will not be registered in our databases (for more information see our section General Data Protection Regulation and data privacy (GDPR) and Confidentiality).

Check this box if you wish to receive a copy of your message

Please reproduce the text below: *

Diphyllobothriasis

Disease definition

Bothriocephalosis is a mammalian cosmopolitan intestinal parasitosis. In addition to non-specific digestive problems (nausea, abdominal pain, lack of appetite), bothriocephalosis provokes an anaemia caused by vitamin B12 deficiency that resembles Biermer anaemia (anaemia characterised by abnormally large red blood cells).

ORPHA:128

Classification level: Disorder

Synonym(s):
- Bothriocephalosis
Prevalence: <1 / 1 000 000
Inheritance: Not applicable
Age of onset: All ages
ICD-10: B70.0
ICD-11: 1F71
OMIM: -
UMLS: C0012561
MeSH: -
GARD: 942
MedDRA: 10013029

Summary

Epidemiology

The prevalence is Europe is unknown but more than 10 cases are reported each year, principally from the Italian, Swiss and French Alps.

Etiology

It is an adult cestodosis caused by the large (more than 10 metres) fish tapeworm Diphyllobothrium latum. The life cycle of the parasite is complex and involves two intermediate hosts: a microscopic crustacean, followed by a freshwater fish. Mammals are contaminated through eating fleshy parts of lightly cooked, smoked or undersalted fish.

Diagnostic methods

Diagnosis is made by examination of the stools.

Management and treatment

Standard tapeworm treatments (niclosamide or praziquantel) are effective at treating this parasitosis.

Expert reviewer(s): Dr Luc PARIS - Last update: December 2006

The portal for rare diseases and orphan drugs

Search for a rare disease

Other search option(s)