Table 1.
Human-pathogenic Gnathostoma species | Geographic distribution | Definitive animal hosts |
---|---|---|
Gnathostoma spinigerum* | China, India, Japan, southeast Asia | Wild and domestic cats and dogs |
Gnathostoma binucleatum* | Central and South America | Wild and domestic cats and dogs |
Gnathostoma doloresi | Japan, southeast Asia | Wild and, probably, domestic pigs |
Gnathostoma hispidum | Australia, Central America, China, Japan, Korea, southeast Asia | Wild and domestic pigs |
Gnathostoma malaysiae | Japan, southeast Asia | Rats |
Gnathostoma nipponicum | Korea, Japan | Weasels |
Most human infections are caused by G. spinigerum in Asia and G. binucleatum in Latin America.