Distribution: Philippines, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan, Iran, Egypt
Source: eating raw fish containing viable larvae, with autoinfection
The larvae and adult worms live in the mucosa of the small bowel, especially the jejunum. Adult males are 2.3 to 3.2 mm long. Adult females are 2.5 to 4.3 mm long.
Clinical features:
(1) watery diarrhea
(2) protein malabsorption
(3) weight loss leading to cachexia
Imaging studies may show thickening of the small bowel wall.
Laboratory findings:
(1) eggs in the stool that are 36 to 45 microns long and 20 microns wide
(2) hypokalemia
(3) low serum protein and albumin
Differential diagnosis for eggs:
(1) Capillaria hepatica pseudoinfection
(2) Trichuris trichiura
