Infant gastrointestinal canthariasis caused by cigarette beetle (Lasioderma serricorne)

Abstract

Diseases caused by beetle larvae infestation are known as intestinal canthariasis. Canthariasis from the cigarette beetle, Lasioderma serricorne, is quite rare; however, with the accumulation of genetic references, such cases of accidental pseudo-parasitism have been increasingly recognized. Here, we describe a case of asymptomatic gastrointestinal passage of L. serricorne in a 4-year-old male. Larval identification was conducted by PCR-sequencing targeting cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 using DNA extracted from the larvae. Due to the difficulty of differential identification of beetles using larval morphology, DNA barcoding is essential.