ABSTRACT
Echinostomes (ukes of the family Echinostomatidae) are a group of trematodes morphologically characterized by the presence of a head collar with collar spines around the oral sucker.1 Taxonomically, as many as 355 species (50 genera) are included in the Echinostomatidae.2 Echinostomes are intestinal parasites of predominantly birds, but mammals, including humans, can also serve as the denitive host.2 Among them, 20 species have so far been known to cause human infections (Table 19.1).1 The majority (15 of 20 species) belongs to three genera, Echinostoma, Echinochasmus, and Artyfechinostomum, and the remainders are one species each of Acanthoparyphium, Echinoparyphium, Episthmium, Hypoderaeum, and Isthmiophora.1 The human-infecting echinostomes are distributed widely in Southeast Asia and the Far East.1,3
Echinostome ukes use three kinds of hosts during their life cycle; the rst (aquatic snails) and second intermediate hosts (snails, clams, shes, amphibia, and reptiles) and the denitive host (shes, reptiles,
19.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................351 19.2 Morphology and Classication .....................................................................................................352
