DIPLOGONOPORIASIS PRESUMABLY INTRODUCED INTO SPAIN - FIRST CONFIRMED CASE OF HUMAN INFECTION ACQUIRED OUTSIDE THE FAR-EAST

A Sg-year-old man who was very fond of eating raw fish and had not lef t Zaragoza Province in Spain in the last 20 years excreted a short cha in of gravid proglottids. Treatment with 50 mg/kg of paromomycin sulfa te was divided into three doses, all given within the same day, follow ed by administration of a laxative at night. On days 1 and 2 post-trea tment, several chains of degenerated proglottids were evacuated. Only eggs were expelled on days 3 and 4. A long complete strobila including the scolex, and immature, mature, and gravid segments was spontaneous ly discharged on day 25 after treatment. It was identified as Diplogon oporus balaenopterae, and was the first confirmed case of diplogonopor iasis outside the Far East (all previous cases were reported from Japa n, except for one recent case reported from Korea). The origin of this case, outside of its normal geographic location, may be associated wi th the importation of fish into Spain. The viability of the infective larval stage is evidence of its resistance to export/import conditions . Treatment with paromomycin sulfate did not result in the whole worm being discharged but several short strobilar chains showed drug-induce d degeneration.