Paragonimus and its hosts in China: An update

• Published in: Acta tropica Vol. 223; p. 106094
• Main Authors: Zhou, Xiao-Juan, Yang, Qian, Tan, Qi-Hong, Zhang, Li-Yanyang, Shi, Lin-Bo, Zou, Jie-Xin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01-11-2021
• Subjects: China; Crayfish; Distribution; Freshwater crab; Paragonimus; Paragonimus; Crayfish; Freshwater crab; China; Distribution
• ISSN: 0001-706X; 1873-6254
• DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2021.106094

•Updated all species of Paragonimus in China and summarized its intermediate hosts.•Analyzed the distribution points of Paragonimus in various provinces of China and formed distribution maps of Paragonimus.•Analyzed the geographic and spatiotemporal dynamics of Paragonimus prevalence in natural foci and provided a basis for further research and paragonimiasis prevention strategies in China.
Paragonimiasis is an important foodborne parasitic disease. Over 50 species of Paragonimus have been reported worldwide, and China has the widest distribution and largest number of species. The detection of Paragonimus metacercariae from second intermediate hosts has been reported in 22 provinces and municipalities. The most frequently reported species are P. westermani, P. skrjabini, P. heterotremus and Euparagonimus cenocopiosus. In this review, we collected and reviewed relevant reports on the detection of Paragonimus metacercariae in second intermediate hosts from 1937 to 2020 from all areas of China. We provide an updated and current summary of Paragonimus species and their hosts in China. Data on the geographical range, species distribution, and second intermediate host species of Paragonimus were extracted. ArcGIS10.2 software was used to generate distribution maps of Paragonimus for four time periods: 1937-1990, 1991-2005, 2006-2020 and 1937-2020. We analyzed the geographic and spatiotemporal dynamics of Paragonimus prevalence in natural foci and provided a basis for further research and paragonimiasis prevention strategies in China.