First report of Paragonimus skrjabini miyazakii metacercariae in Geothelphusa dehaani (Sawagani) occurring in Iwate Prefecture, Japan

Abstract

Paragonimiasis is an important food-borne zoonosis caused by Paragonimus flukes and is endemic to western Japan. However, there have been few epidemiological studies in the Tohoku district of northeastern Japan. In this study, Paragonimus metacercariae (mc) was detected in Geothelphusa dehaani (Japanese freshwater crab or Sawagani) in Iwate Prefecture. Out of the 207 Sawagani collected from 35 localities, 12 individuals from six localities were infected with Paragonimus mc. The mc were identified as P. skrjabini miyazakii based on the sequences of nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 2 and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I. This is the first report of P. s. miyazakii mc infection in Sawagani in Iwate Prefecture.