Paragonimiasis, or lung fluke disease, is caused by infection
with a number of species of trematodes belonging to the genus
Paragonimus. The most common are: P. westermani, P. heterotremus
and P. philippinensis in Asia (China, the Democratic People’s
Republic of Korea, the Republic of Korea, the Lao People’s
Democratic Republic, the Philippines, Thailand, Viet Nam and
other east Asian countries); P. africanus and P.
uterobilateralis in western and central Africa; P. caliensis, P.
kellicotti and P. mexicanus in north, central and south America.
Adult flukes may measure up to 20 mm x 10 mm. Paragonimus spp.
is a common parasite of crustacean-eating mammals such as
tigers, leopards, domestic cats, dogs, mongooses, opossums and
monkeys (reservoir final hosts). The adult flukes live in the
lungs and lay eggs that are coughed up through the airways and
either expectorated in the sputum or swallowed and defecated.
When they reach freshwater, the eggs develop into miracidia that
penetrate various species of aquatic s