Walsh & Hoyt: Gnathostoma spinigerum (Gnathostomiasis)

Gnathostoma spinigerum (from the Greek words gnathos, meaning ""jaw,"" and stoma, meaning ""mouth"") is a nematode that parasitizes the stomachs of dogs and cats. The invasive, highly motile larvae of this worm, when ingested in raw or partially cooked animal flesh, can migrate through human tissue. Although most of the clinical manifestations of human infection gnathostomiasis are caused by subcutaneous parasites, the CNS can be affected, and neurologic manifestations are the most serious form of the disease.