Treatment and prevention

Praziquantal - not licensed for human use in the UK - is the treatment of choice for Clonorchiasis. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends 25 mg/kg orally 3 times daily for 2 to 3 days or 40mg/kg in a single administration, resulting in cure rates above 90%. (1)

An alternative regimen is albendazole (10mg/kg) for 5 to 7 days. (2)

Cholangitis is treated with intravenous antibiotics.

Surgery may be required for the physical removal of worms and/or stones if obstruction persists.

Infection is prevented by thorough cooking of fish.

References

1. Xu LL et al. Efficacy and safety of praziquantel, tribendimidine and mebendazole in patients with co-infection of Clonorchis sinensis and other helminths. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2014 Aug;8(8):e3046.
2. Qian MB, Utzinger J, Keiser J, Zhou XN. Clonorchiasis. Lancet. 2016 Feb 20;387(10020):800-10