Diphyllobothrium latum

Di·phyl·lo·both·ri·um la·'tum

the broad or broad fish tapeworm, a species that causes diphyllobothriasis, found in humans and fish-eating mammals in many parts of northern Europe, Japan and elsewhere in Asia, and in Scandinavian populations of the American north central states and in north American Inuit populations; it often has 3000-4000 segments, broader than long; the head has typical bothria characteristic of the genus.

Synonym(s): Dibothriocephalus latus

Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

A tapeworm that parasitises freshwater fish of temperate zones in the Northern hemisphere—D pacificum infestation occurs in marine fish off Peru
Definitive hosts Humans, domestic pets, other mammals
D latum is the largest known vertebrate tapeworm, measuring 10 meters in length with 4000 proglottids—most distal proglottids disintegrate, releasing eggs into the faeces; these mature and hatch into ciliated coracium, which are ingested by the first intermediate host, an aquatic arthropod, the copepod, and then ingested by a second intermediate host, a freshwater fish—e.g., salmon, trout, and whitefish; the eggs develop into procercoid larvae in the fish muscle and viscera and are eaten by man as raw fish and the cycle continues
Management Niclosamide

Segen's Medical Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.

Diphyllobothrium latum

A tapeworm having intermediate hosts in the freshwater crustacean Cyclops and then in fish. The worm is acquired by humans through eating fish. Infestation is fairly common in Finland and Scandinavia.

Collins Dictionary of Medicine © Robert M. Youngson 2004, 2005