ABSTRACT
This chapter provides state-of-the-art overviews on foodborne diseases caused by Clonorchis in relation to their etiology, biology, epidemiology, clinical presentation, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. In 1907 Arthur Looss, after careful study of the liver flukes from China, Japan, and Vietnam, reclassified them into the newly created genus Clonorchis (for flukes with branched testes) under names Clonorchis sinensis and C. endemicus. Some morphological features of cercariae and metacercariae suggest that two genera could be merged, while some features of trematodes' biology, morphology, and genesis give grounds to transfer O. viverrini from the genus Opisthorchis into the genus Clonorchis as a second species. The list of host species may be inaccurate because using only the morphology of cercaria/metacercaria, that is, without life cycle completion and specific DNA markers, can lead to parasite misidentification. The drugs with improvement characteristics as well as effective vaccines yet to be developed should be implemented for clonorchiasis prevention and treatment.
