A Rare Case of Hymenolepis diminuta Infection: Case Report of a Middle-Aged Female in Yunnan, China.

Background

Hymenolepis diminuta, a rat tapeworm, is a rare zoonosis typically affecting children. We report the first confirmed human case in Yunnan Province, China, not able for its occurrence in an adult.

Methods

A 42-year-old female farmer from Dali presented with unilateral painless vision loss. H. diminuta infection was diagnosed incidentally through routine stool microscopy during her ophthalmological workup.

Results

Examination of fecal samples confirmed the presence of H. diminuta eggs. This identifies the first autochthonous human case in Yunnan Province and underscores infection in an atypical adult demographic.

Conclusion

This case highlights the unexpected detection of a rat tapeworm in a new geographic region and age group, emphasizing the value of basic diagnostics in uncovering zoonotic diseases, even with unrelated clinical presentations.