Clonorchis Sinensis

Excerpt

Clonorchis sinensis is a trematode also known as the Chinese or Oriental liver fluke. This parasitic infection is most commonly found in Eastern Asia, including Korea, China, and Vietnam, but it can be endemic in far eastern regions of Russia. These liver flukes are common parasites of fish-eating mammals. Cats and dogs of endemic areas are the most common hosts, but C. sinensis can be transmitted to humans who eat infected fish. When infected, C. sinensis can live for years within the biliary system of humans and result in a variety of symptoms, including cholecystitis, cholangitis, and cholangiocarcinoma. This can be extremely burdensome for Asian immigrants, who emigrated from an area of endemic infection and develop ongoing symptoms years after initial infection. In parts of Asia, liver flukes are a public health problem, and more than 200 million people are at risk of infection in these regions.