Human Fascioliasis in Portugal: A Case Report

Fascioliasis is a zoonotic disease that may affect humans as incidental hosts after the ingestion of contaminated water or aquatic plants. Despite the non-specificity of its signs and symptoms, a triad of abdominal pain, fever, and peripheral eosinophilia should increase suspicion. The diagnosis of fascioliasis can be particularly difficult in non-endemic countries. It presents a worldwide but heterogeneous distribution, according to several environmental and human activity-related factors. Few cases have been described in Portugal. The authors report the case of a 48-year-old man presenting with abdominal pain, fever, and nighttime sweating. The CT scan revealed multiple hepatic nodules, which were then confirmed as abscesses in the context of hepatic fascioliasis. We aim to alert for the persistence of a few autochthonous cases of human fascioliasis in Portugal, the need to maintain a high degree of suspicion for this disease despite its non-specific presentation, and the emergence of triclabendazole resistance.