Human Acanthocephaliasis: a Thorn in the Side of Parasite Diagnostics.

Acanthocephala is a phylum of parasitic pseudocoelomates that infect a wide range of vertebrate and invertebrate hosts and can cause zoonotic infections in humans. The zoologic literature is quite rich and diverse; however, the human-centric literature is sparse, with sporadic reports over the past 70 years. Causal agents of acanthocephaliasis in humans are reviewed as well as their biology and life cycle. This review provides the first consolidated and summarized report of human cases of acanthocephaliasis based on English language publications, including epidemiology, clinical presentation, treatment, and diagnosis and identification.