Diphyllobothrium pacificum: infection in a 3 year old boy in Antofagasta, Chile

Abstract

Diphyllobothriosis is a zoonosis related to the consumption of crude or inadequately cooked sea or freshwater fish. We report a case of diphyllobothriosis caused by D. pacificum diagnosed in a 3 year old boy in the city port of Antofagasta in the north of Chile. The patient expelled one strobile of 55cm from which a morphometric study of proglotids and eggs demonstrated that it was a specimen of D. pacificum. He was treated with praziquantel but neither new strobiles or eggs were expelled. Haematological studies did not show any abnormalities. None of the family group were infected. Our finding is interesting in that among 16 cases documented in Chile, 3 correspond to children between 3 and 7 years.