A Philophthalmid Eyefluke from a Human in Japan

Philophthalmid eyeflukes are cosmopolitan parasites of birds and occasionally of mammals, including humans. A gravid adult of sp. was found from the bulbar conjunctiva of a 64-yr-old woman in Japan, who was diagnosed with acute conjunctivitis. The parasite was morphologically most similar to , but distinctive in lacking an esophagus and in having clearly lobed testes. The DNA sequence analysis of genes for nuclear ribosomal RNA and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 supported the identification at generic level. The morphological and molecular analyses strongly suggest that the eyefluke from a human in Japan should be treated as an undescribed species of . The occurrence of human philophthalmosis is very rare. As far as we know, a total of 11 human cases have been reported worldwide to date.