The First Report of Cysticercus fasciolaris From Alborz Province, Iran

Taenia taeniaeformis is a cestode parasite found in the intestine of cats and other final hosts. Rodents, various species of rats, and voles act as intermediate hosts for the parasite. The intermediate hosts infected through ingestion of contaminated feed, water, and beddings from eggs of the parasite pass by cats. Eggs develop into larval form in the liver of intermediate host. The larva inhabits the liver of the rodent, an intermediate host. The larval form of T. taeniaeformis is called Cysticercus fasciolaris.1 A small number of fibrosarcoma cases in the liver of rats associated with cysts of T. taeniaeformis have been reported.2 T. taeniaeformis is a parasite with zoonotic significance because humans can act as accidental hosts.3 Adult parasites and metacestodes (C. fasciolaris) have been detected in intestines and liver of people from Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Argentina, and Czech Republic.4,5 As far as the researchers of this study investigated, there are few reports of T. taeniaeformis in the rodents from Iran,6 and there is no C. fasciolaris reports in our region. The purpose of the present report was to present a case from naturally infected rat in the Alborz province, Iran (Figure 1 and Figure 2).