Seven Cases of Human Fascioliasis in and around Okayama Prefecture

We have examined seven cases of fascioliasis in and around Okayama prefecture. Five cases were from Okayama prefecture, one case was from Hiroshima prefecture and the other one was from Hyogo prefecture. There were many cattle pastured for milk or beef in the place from where the patients came. The main symptoms were epigastralgia, right hypochondralgia and fever. We suspected fascioliasis by eosinophilia and space occupied lesions in the liver which were demonstrated by abdominal computed tomography or ultrasonography. Three cases were confirmed of the diagnosis by detection of the eggs in the feces or in the duodenal contents. Three other cases were diagnosed by skin test and sero-immunological techniques such as the Ouchterlony method and immunoelectrophoresis. One case was ectopic fascioliasis; the parasite wandered subcutaneously in the abdomen and was excised from the skin of the left hypochondrium. Treatment was carried out with bithionol administered orally at a dose of 50mg/kg on alternate days for 10 to 15 doses. In some cases, praziquantel was used at a dose of 75mg/kg for three days combined with bithionol.