This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Aetiology and epidemiology

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

  • Clonorchis sinensis is a small fluke (5 by 15mm) that lives in the biliary tree of its host (for a period of up to 50 years).
  • the fluke feeds on mucosal secretions (whilst in the biliary tree) and passes operculated eggs into the faeces.
  • once the eggs reach freshwater they are ingested by the intermediate snail host.
  • The flukes develop and multiply within the snail and the cercariae are released and penetrate freshwater fish.
  • infection of man occurs after eating salted, pickled, raw or dried fish that contains the metacercariae.
  • the larvae are released in the duodenum and they enter the bile duct. They then progress to second order bile ducts where the flukes mature into the adult forms in about 1 month. Other reservoirs, in addition to humans, are pigs, rats, cats and dogs.

Clonorchis is endemic in Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Southern China and Vietnam.

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.