| Porocephaliasis | |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Infectious disease |
Porocephaliasis is a condition associated with species in the closely related generaPorocephalus andArmillifer. (The term "pentastomiasis" encompasses all diseases ofPentastomida, which includes porocephaliasis andlinguatulosis.)
Porocephaliasis is associated with contact with snakes. (This is in contrast with linguatulosis, which is associated with contact with dogs or wolves.)
It has been reported fromAfrica,Malaysia and theMiddle East. Its occurrence has been rare inEurope and North America where it has been found in immigrants and travelers.[1]
It is prevalent in parts of Africa[2] and Asia[3] where eating snake meat is common. In Africa it has also been associated with groups who use the snake as a totem.[4] Unlike linguatuliasis, humans are only ever an accidental intermediate host forArmillifer, i.e. the larvae establish themselves in the visceral organs causinghuman visceral pentastomiasis, but adults do not occur in the human respiratory system. After a while the larvae die within the host and sometimes calcify, leaving characteristic crescent-shaped structures seen in X-ray.[5] In extreme cases a heavy parasite burden can have serious medical consequences[6] and can even be fatal.[7]
Diagnosis is byhistopathology.[1]
No treatment is necessary in asymptomatic patients, but there is noantiparasiticpharmacotherapy or medical treatment available for pentastomiasis. Surgery may be needed for infection by many parasites.[1] Infection can be prevented by washing the hands after touching snake secretions or meat and cooking snake meat thoroughly prior to consumption.[1]