ABSTRACT
Clonorchiasis is caused by the fluke Clonorchis sinensis Looss, 1907, and is contracted by through eating raw infected fish. In Japan, clonorchiasis is widely distributed except for Hokkaido, in the northern part of the country, and the disease has been considered one of the most important snail-transmitted diseases. Large and small lakes and ponds are used for culturing fish, and these bodies of water are usually polluted with human and animal excreta containing eggs of Clonorchis sinensis. Several symptoms have been attributed to chronic clonorchiasis, among which are, in order of decreasing frequency: fatigue, weakness, weight loss, abdominal pains, ascites, increased appetite, decreased appetite, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, jaundice, edema, pyrosis, headaches, and palpitations. Clonorchiasis can be diagnosed by certain laboratory procedures. Some of the early anthelmintic drugs such as emetine, methylene blue, antimony, gentian violet, and carbon tetrachloride have been used for the treatment of clonorchiasis.
