Versteria mustelae

From IDWiki
Versteria mustelae
  • Taeniid cestode previously known as Taenia mustelae
  • Present in wild mustelids (weasels, badgers, otters, ferrets, martens, minks, and wolverines)
  • Only 3 human cases have been described, all with western North American strain type1
    • Immunocompromised hosts: Hodgkin lymphoma, hypogammaglobulinemia from non-Hodgkin lymphoma, lupus nephritis
  • Presents most commonly with fevers, ±disseminated disease
  • Treated with albendazole ± surgical resection

Further Reading

  • Definitive Hosts of Versteria Tapeworms (Cestoda: Taeniidae) Causing Fatal Infection in North America. Emerg Infect Dis. 2016;22(4):707-710. doi: 10.3201/eid2204.151446

References

  1. ^  Peter Deplazes, Ramon M. Eichenberger, Felix Grimm. Wildlife-transmitted Taenia and Versteria cysticercosis and coenurosis in humans and other primates. International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife. 2019;9:342-358. doi:10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.03.013.