Human acanthocephaliasis: A thorn in the side of parasite diagnostics
Keyword(s):
The Past
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Acanthacephala is a phylum of parasitic pseudocoelamates that infect a wide range of vertebrate and invertebrate hosts and can cause zoonotic infections in humans. The zoologic literature is quite rich and diverse, however the human-centric literature is sparse and sporadically reported over the past 70 years. Causal agents of acanthacephaliasis in humans are reviewed as well as their biology and life cycle. This review provides the first consolidated and summarized report of human cases of acanthacephaliasis based on English language publications, including epidemiology, clinical presentation, treatment, and diagnosis and identification.