Tongue Worms - Human Infestation

Human Infestation

Tongue worms occasionally parasitise humans. While there is a report of Sebakia inducing dermatitis, the two genera responsible for most internal human infestation are Linguatula and Armillifer. Visceral pentastomiasis can be caused by Linguatula serrata, Armillifer armillatus, Armillifer moniliformis, Armillifer grandis, and Porocephalus crotali.

The terms associated with infections can vary:

• Linguatula disease can be called linguatuliasis or linguatulosis.
• Porocephalus disease can be called porocephaliasis or porocephalosis.
• Armillifer disease can also be called porocephalosis. (An alternate name for Armillifer moniliformis is Porocephalus moniliformis.)
• "Pentastomiasis" can refer to any infection of Pentastomida.

Porocephalus and Armillifer (which are all cylindrical and all inhabit snakes) have much more in common with each other than they do with Linguatula (which is flat and inhabits dogs and wolves.)