Opisthorchis felineus, or cat liver fluke is a trematode parasite that infects the liver

Liver

The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...

 in mammals. It was first discovered in 1884 in a cat's liver by Sebastiano Rivolta of Italy. In 1891, Russian scientist K.N. Vinogradov found it in a human, and named the parasite a "Siberian liver fluke". In the 1930s, helminthologist

Helminthology

Helminthology is the study of worms, especially parasitic worms. This field deals with the study of their taxonomy and the effect on their hosts....

 Hans Vogel

Hans Vogel (scientist)

Hans Vogel was a German scientist known for his work in helminthology . For much of his career he was associated with the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine in Hamburg....

 of Hamburg

Hamburg

-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...

 published an article describing the life cycle of Opisthorchis felineus.

The first "intermediate hosts" of the parasite are freshwater snail

Freshwater snail

A freshwater snail is one kind of freshwater mollusc, the other kind being freshwater clams and mussels, i.e. freshwater bivalves. Specifically a freshwater snail is a gastropod that lives in a watery non-marine habitat. The majority of freshwater gastropods have a shell, with very few exceptions....

s Bithynia inflata (synonym: Codiella inflata), Bithynia troschelii

Bithynia troschelii

Bithynia troschelii is species of small freshwater snail, an aquatic prosobranch gastropod mollusk in the family Bithyniidae.Its specific epithet is in honor of German zoologist Franz Hermann Troschel.-Taxonomy:...

and Bithynia leachii

Bithynia leachii

Bithynia leachii is species of small freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic prosobranch gastropod mollusk in the family Bithyniidae.-Shell description:The shell of the species grows to be 6.5 mm in maximum dimension....

. The second "intermediate hosts" are freshwater fish, followed by the final host, which are fish-eating mammals such as felines and humans. It is estimated that 1.5 million people in Russia are infected with the parasite. Inhabitants of Siberia acquire the infection by consuming raw, slightly salted and frozen fish.

Opisthorchiasis, the disease caused by Opisthorchis felineus, ranges in severity from asymptomatic infection to severe illness. Patient outcome is dependent on early detection and treatment.

Human cases of opisthorchiasis may affect the liver

Liver

The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...

, pancreas

Pancreas

The pancreas is a gland organ in the digestive and endocrine system of vertebrates. It is both an endocrine gland producing several important hormones, including insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin, as well as a digestive organ, secreting pancreatic juice containing digestive enzymes that assist...

, and gall bladder. If not treated in the early stages, opisthorchiasis may cause cirrhosis

Cirrhosis

Cirrhosis is a consequence of chronic liver disease characterized by replacement of liver tissue by fibrosis, scar tissue and regenerative nodules , leading to loss of liver function...

 of the liver and increased risk of liver cancer

Hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common type of liver cancer. Most cases of HCC are secondary to either a viral hepatitide infection or cirrhosis .Compared to other cancers, HCC is quite a rare tumor in the United States...

, but may be asymptomatic in children.http://www.promedmail.org/pls/promed/f?p=2400:1001:4800346785134245443::::F2400_P1001_BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_ARCHIVE_NUMBER,F2400_P1001_USE_ARCHIVE:1001,20031104.2731,Y
Two weeks after flukes enter the body, the parasites infect
the biliary tract. Symptoms of infection include fever,
general malaise, skin rash, and gastrointestinal disturbances. Severe anemia

Anemia

Anemia is a decrease in number of red blood cells or less than the normal quantity of hemoglobin in the blood. However, it can include decreased oxygen-binding ability of each hemoglobin molecule due to deformity or lack in numerical development as in some other types of hemoglobin...

 and liver damage may also
incapacitate the infected person for 1-2 months. Treatment of
opisthorchiasis is generally with a single dose of praziquantel

Praziquantel

Praziquantel is an anthelmintic effective against flatworms. Praziquantel is not licensed for use in humans in the UK; it is, however, available as a veterinary anthelmintic, and is available for use in humans on a named-patient basis....

.http://www.promedmail.org/pls/promed/f?p=2400:1001:4800346785134245443::::F2400_P1001_BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_ARCHIVE_NUMBER,F2400_P1001_USE_ARCHIVE:1001,20030822.2118,Y

External links

• Armignacco O., Caterini L., Marucci G., Ferri F., Bernardini G., Natalini Raponi G., et al. (2008). "Human illnesses caused by Opisthorchis felineus flukes, Italy". Emerging Infectious Diseases
  Emerging Infectious Diseases
  Emerging Infectious Diseases is a peer-reviewed medical journal published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is in the public domain and is published monthly by the CDC's National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases...
  
  [serial on the Internet]. 2008 Dec [date cited]. Available from http://www.cdc.gov/EID/content/14/12/1902.htm DOI:10.3201/eid1412.080782, PDF