• HELMINTOSIS TISULARES II: Síndromes de larvas migrantes cutánea y visceral / ocular

(toxocariosis), Triquinosis (Trichinella spiralis) y, Distomatosis o Fasciolosis (Fasciola

hepatica).

Toxocariosis: Ciclo de vida

Toxocariasis is caused by larvae of Toxocara canis (dog roundworm) and less frequently of T. cati (cat
roundworm), two nematode parasites of animals.

Toxocara canis accomplishes its life

cycle in dogs, with humans acquiring
the infection as accidental hosts.
Following ingestion by dogs, the
infective eggs hatch and larvae
penetrate the gut wall and migrate into
various tissues, where they encyst if the
dog is older than 5 weeks. In younger
dogs, the larvae migrate through the
lungs, bronchial tree, and esophagus;
adult worms develop and oviposit in the
small intestine. In the older dogs, the
encysted stages are reactivated during
pregnancy, and infect by the
transplacental and transmammary
routes the puppies, in whose small
intestine adult worms become
established. Thus, infective eggs are
excreted both by lactating bitches and
puppies. Humans are accidental hosts
who become infected by ingesting
infective eggs in contaminated soil.
After ingestion, the eggs hatch and
larvae penetrate the intestinal wall and
are carried by the circulation to a wide
variety of tissues (liver, heart, lungs,
brain, muscle, eyes). While the larvae
do not undergo any further
development in these sites, they can
cause severe local reactions that are the
basis of toxocariasis. The two main
clinical presentations of toxocariasis are
visceral larva migrans (VLM) and ocular
larva migrans (OLM)*.

*Baylisascaris procyonis, a roundworm of raccoons, has been reported to cause similar VLM and OLM syndromes in humans.
Triquinosis: Ciclo de vida

Trichinellosis (trichinosis) is caused by nematodes (roundworms) of the genus Trichinella. In addition to

the classical agent T. spiralis (found worldwide in many carnivorous and omnivorous animals), several
other species of Trichinella are now recognized, including T. pseudospiralis (mammals and birds
worldwide), T. nativa (Arctic bears), T. nelsoni (African predators and scavengers), and T. britovi
(carnivores of Europe and western Asia).

Trichinellosis is acquired by ingesting meat containing cysts (encysted larvae) of Trichinella. After
exposure to gastric acid and pepsin, the larvae are released from the cysts and invade the small bowel
mucosa where they develop into adult worms (female 2.2 mm in length, males 1.2 mm; life span in the
small bowel: 4 weeks). After 1 week, the females release larvae that migrate to the striated muscles
where they encyst . Trichinella pseudospiralis, however, does not encyst. Encystment is completed in 4
to 5 weeks and the encysted larvae may remain viable for several years. Ingestion of the encysted larvae
perpetuates the cycle. Rats and rodents are primarily responsible for maintaining the endemicity of this
infection. Carnivorous/omnivorous animals, such as pigs or bears, feed on infected rodents or meat from
other animals. Different animal hosts are implicated in the life cycle of the different species of Trichinella.
Humans are accidentally infected when eating improperly processed meat of these carnivorous animals (or
eating food contaminated with such meat).
Fasciola hepática: Ciclo de vida

Immature eggs are discharged in the biliary ducts and in the stool . Eggs become embryonated in water
, eggs release miracidia , which invade a suitable snail intermediate host , including many species of
the genus Lymnae. In the snail the parasites undergo several developmental stages (sporocysts ,
rediae , and cercariae ). The cercariae are released from the snail and encyst as metacercariae on
aquatic vegetation or other surfaces. Mammals acquire the infection by eating vegetation containing
metacercariae. Humans can become infected by ingesting metacercariae-containing freshwater plants,
especially watercress . After ingestion, the metacercariae excyst in the duodenum and migrate
through the intestinal wall, the peritoneal cavity, and the liver parenchyma into the biliary ducts, where
they develop into adults . In humans, maturation from metacercariae into adult flukes takes
approximately 3 to 4 months. The adult flukes (Fasciola hepatica: up to 30 mm by 13 mm; F. gigantica:
up to 75 mm) reside in the large biliary ducts of the mammalian host. Fasciola hepatica infect various
animal species, mostly herbivores.