A New Focus of Pleuro-Pulmonary Paragonimiasis in Manjo Health District, Littoral Region of Cameroon

Background: Paragonimiasis is a food-borne parasitic disease caused by lung flukes of the genus Paragonimus. Cameroon has five known foci of paragonimiasis. Recently, 2 children from the Manjo health district were diagnosed of paragonimiasis at the near-by Ndoungué hospital. The aim of the present study was to determine whether Manjo district is endemic for paragonimiasis.
Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in Manjo health district, Littoral Region of Cameroon. A stool and a sputum samples obtained from each participant were examined in search of paragonimus eggs. Crabs from local streams were dissected in search of paragonimus metacercariae.
Results: Two hundred and fourteen participants were recruited (49.1% males and 50.1% females with an age range from 3-75 years and a mean of 15.73±10.72 years. 1.9% of subjects had eggs of paragonimus in their stools and/or sputum. Eight out of twenty crabs dissected (40%) were positive for metacercariae.
Conclusion: Manjo health district is endemic for paragonimiasis and should be considered as the 6th focus of the disease in Cameroon.