ABSTRACT
Metagonimus spp. are important foodborne parasites and are mainly distributed in the Far Eastern countries, including Korea, China, Taiwan, Japan, and Russia. This chapter reviews the laboratory models used to study the life cycle, host–parasite relationships, pathogenesis, immunity, and other related aspects of Metagonimus infection. The characteristic morphological features of Metagonimus spp. include a minute body, a small laterally deviated ventral sucker with no ventrogenital apparatus and no genital sucker, a medially located ovary, and two testes located almost side by side or a little oblique near the posterior extremity. In vivo experimental studies have never been performed to study on the effects of anthelmintic drugs against Metagonimus spp. infection. Human Metagonimus infection can be diagnosed by detecting eggs in fecal samples. The definitive hosts of Metagonimus spp. are fish-eating birds and mammals. Molecular techniques can be applied to detect Metagonimus spp. infections in the feces or food materials including fish.
