Paragonimus Gondwanensis N. Sp. (Digenea, Paragonimidae), Parasite of Mammals (Humans and Carnivores) in Cameroon

Abstract

Paragonimus gondwanensis n. sp. (hitherto undescribed) is reported from the lungs of naturally infected cat (Felis catus Linnaeus, 1758) and civet [Civettictis civetta (Schreber, 1776)] from Cameroon. Its description is based on the morphology of adult worms but also, on the dimension of fresh, living eggs released from naturally and experimentally infected cats and hospitalized patients (in the metraterm of worms, emitted in the beginning of prepatent period and laid by living worm), length of prepatent period and duration of eggs incubation. The presence of this species in human patients is confirmed

Paragonimusand paragonimiasis in West and Central Africa: unresolved questions

“…This review of African paragonimiasis pays particular attention to the biodiversity-rich forested foci of the disease in Upper Guinea and Lower Guinea. Of particular interest are the foci in Nigeria and in the South and Southwest regions of Cameroon where endemic areas of paragonimiasis support all four African species of Paragonimus , three of which cause lung disease in humans (Nwokolo, 1974; Voelker and Sachs, 1977; Bayssade-Dufour et al ., 2014). Reports of human cases of paragonimiasis occurring outside of the forest zones of West and Central Africa have failed to confirm the presence of the parasite in the savannah zone (Morter et al ., 2018).…”

“…Identification of parasites to the species level can be undertaken in the light of recent taxonomic advances, new discoveries and DNA technologies (Bayssade-Dufour et al ., 2014, 2015; Friant et al ., 2015). This could establish which species of snails, freshwater crabs and crab-eating mammals serve as hosts and help to clarify the life-history traits of this complex pathogen (Table 1).…”

“…The availability of DNA sequence data now makes it possible to identify Paragonimus spp. from metacercariae or indeed from any part of the life cycle: eggs, larval stages and adult flukes (Bayssade-Dufour et al ., 2014, 2015; Friant et al ., 2015). Using molecular data to identify Paragonimus spp.…”

“…is more accurate than past methods that relied on measurements of adult flukes, metacercariae and eggs recovered from sputum or faecal samples, due to parasite morphological plasticity (Voelker and Vogel, 1965; Voelker, 1973; Voelker et al ., 1975). The availability of improved identification methods is especially important as new species have recently been discovered, suggesting there may be many more to find (Bayssade-Dufour et al ., 2014, 2015; Friant et al ., 2015).…”

Endemicity of Paragonimus and paragonimiasis in Sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and mapping reveals stability of transmission in endemic foci for a multi-host parasite system

“…gondwanensis , and P . kerberti [ 7 , 8 , 37 , 38 ]. All species descriptions are based on morphology only, none have yet been characterised with molecular data, and are therefore currently distinguished by the morphological characters of egg and metacercariae.…”