Dipylidium caninum infection in an infant: a rare case report and literature review

Abstract

Dipylidiasis is a zoonotic parasitic infection caused by Dipilydium caninum, a common intestinal tapeworm of dogs and cats. Humans may be accidental hosts when the cysticercoid larva is ingested, mainly infants and young children due to their playing habits and their proximity with dogs and cats. It is considered a rare infection in the world. In the past 20 years only 16 cases have been reported in Europe, China, Japan, India, Sudan, Latin America and the United States. We describe a case of dipylidiasis observed in a 9-month-old girl who likely acquired the infection through games with her pet dog. In a stool sample, we observed 6 proglottids of tapeworm. Each proglottid segment was about 8–9 mm long and 2–3 mm thick. A wet mount revealed proglottids with two genital pores, one on each side, and eggs were clustered in packets containing 8–12 and surrounded by a thin membrane. The patient was successfully treated with a single dose of praziquantel. The pet dog was seen by the veterinary and also showed parasitism by Dipylidium. To the best of our knowledge, this is the only human case reported in Spain according to the literature reviewed.

Keywords

• Dipylidiasis
• Dipylidium caninum
• Cestode infection
• Praziquantel