Clinostomum complanatum (Trematoda, Digenea): a parasite of birds and fishes with zoonotic potential in southern Brazil. A Review

Resumo

Clinostomum complanatum is a digenean trematoda belonging to the Clinostomidae family with a complex life cycle, usually taking molluscs and fishes as intermediate hosts and birds as final hosts. Man may become the final host by eating raw or undercooked fish meat carrying the metacercarial stage of the parasite. Therefore, this trematode deserves great attention not only for the losses in production and discards of fish carcasses, but also for its zoonotic potential. Parasitic diseases transmitted to man through fish consumption have been especially reported in Eastern countries, where the habit of eating dishes based on raw fish meat is common. Nonetheless, C. complanatum has been reported in free-living fishes and specimens in fish farms in southern Brazil, thus representing a risk to the health of fish consumers. Strict regulations should be implemented in Brazil in order to control the quality of the fish destined for human consumption, and public awareness of the dangers of eating raw fish should be raised.