Humans acquire sparganosis by either drinking water contaminated with infected copepods or consuming the flesh of an under-cooked second intermediate or paratenic host. Spargana can live up to 20 years in the human host.

What is human sparganosis?

Human sparganosis is a food borne zoonosis caused by the plerocercoid larvae (spargana) of various diphyllobothroid tapeworms of the genus Spirometra. Human infections are acquired by ingesting the raw or undercooked meat of snakes or frogs, drinking untreated water, or using raw flesh in traditional poultices.

Can D Latum cause sparganosis?

Introduction: Sparganosis is an infection by the plerocercoid larvae of various diphyllobothroid tapeworms belonging to the genus Spirometra. It is similar in morphology and life cycle to the fish tapeworm, Diphyllobothrium latum.