Capillaria hepatica
| Capillaria hepatica | ||||||||||||
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Capillaria hepatica |
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| ( Bancroft , 1893) |
Capillaria hepatica is a hair worm that parasitizes in the liver of mammals . It occurs worldwide, the main reservoir being rodents , especially rats . Infection in humans and other mammals is possible, but rare. In humans, only 37 cases were documented up to 2007.
Capillaria hepatica lives in the liver and also lays its eggs there. However, they are not excreted. The chain of infection starts by eating the liver of an infected animal. In the intestine of the predator, the eggs are released during digestion and excreted in the faeces. A second possibility of environmental contamination is the rotting of an infected animal. These eggs embryon in the environment and are therefore infectious. Infection of new hosts occurs through soil contaminated with eggs. Here the larvae released in the intestine migrates to the liver via the portal vein .
Symptoms such as upper abdominal discomfort and liver enlargement arise from the larvae migrating through the liver and laying eggs. Leukocytosis and eosinophilia are detectable in the laboratory . A reliable diagnosis is only possible through a liver biopsy .