SkipdirectlytositecontentSkipdirectlytopageoptionsSkipdirectlytoA-ZlinkParasites-Capillariasis(alsoknownasCapillariaInfection)SectionNavigationCDCHomeFacebookTwitterLinkedInSyndicateCapillariasisFAQsMinusRelatedPages OnThisPageWhatiscapillariasis?Howdoesonebecomeinfected?Whereisitfound?Howisitdiagnosed?Canthisbetransmittedhumantohuman?Whatarethesignsandsymptoms?HowcanIpreventcapillariasis?WhatshouldIdoifIthinkIhavecapillariasis?Whatisthetreatment?Whatiscapillariasis?Capillariasisisaparasiticinfectioncausebytwospeciesofnematodes,Capillariahepatica,whichcauseshepaticcapillariasis,andCapillariaphilippinensis,whichcausesintestinalcapillariasis.Therearemedicationsandtreatmentoptionsavailabletocurebothformsofcapillariasis,but,withouttreatment,capillariasiscanleadtodeath.Howdoesonebecomeinfected?C.hepaticaisoftenfoundintheliverofanimalssuchassmallrodents,monkeys,andprairiedogsandcancausecirrhosisintheseanimalhosts.Whentheseanimalsareeatenbylargercarnivores,capillarideggsareingestedandpassedthroughthefecalmatterofthecarnivore.Whenthisfecalmatterisdepositedinthesoil,theseeggsbecomeinfectiveinabout30daysandcaninfectotheranimals,includinghumans.Onceaccidentallyingestedbyahuman,theeggsmigratetotheliverandmaturetoadultworms.Anotherrouteoftransmissionisthroughthedecompositionofinfectedanimalsviaeggsintheliverbeingreleasedintothesoil.C.philippinensisisoftenfoundinthetissuesofsmall,freshwaterfish.Whenhumansingesttheseraworundercookedinfectedfish,larvaemigratetotheintestineandmaturetoadultworms.Femalewormsdepositeggsintheintestine,whicharereleasedinfecalmatter.Wheninfectedhumanfecalmatterreachesfreshwater,fishcanbecomeinfectedandthecyclecontinues.Someeggshatchwithinthehumanintestinecausinghyperinfection(amassivenumberofadultworms).Whereisitfound?InfectionwithC.hepaticaisrarebuthasbeenreportedworldwide.InfectionwithC.philippinensisisfrequentlyfoundinthePhilippinesandThailand.SomecaseshavebeenfoundinotherAsiancountries,theMiddleEast,andColombia.Howisitdiagnosed?C.hepaticacanbediagnose