Fascioliasis is caused by the trematodes Fasciola hepatica (the sheep liver fluke) and Fasciola gigantica, parasites of herbivores that can infect humans accidentally. In agriculture, Fasciola infections cause billions of dollars of losses due to poor meat quality and loss of milk production and condemnation of livers. Orders not necessarily a complete list Azygiida Echinostomida Opisthorchiida Plagiorchiida Strigeata Strigeatida Trematodes are also known as flukes. ... A Liver Fluke(Fasciola hepatica) is a trematode (flat worm). ... Species See text. ... Liver flukes are a polyphyletic group of a trematodes (a kind of flatworm). ... Tropical fasciolosis caused by infection with Fasciola gigantica is regarded as one the most important single helminth infections of ruminants in Asia and Africa. ... For the rare minieral, see Parisite. ... A deer and two fawns feeding on some foliage In zoology, an herbivore is an animal that is adapted to eat primarily plant matter (rather than meat). ... An infection is the detrimental colonization of a host organism by a foreign species. ... Binomial name Homo sapiens Linnaeus, 1758 Subspecies Homo sapiens idaltu(extinct) Homo sapiens sapiens Homo (genus). ... Liver flukes are a polyphyletic group of a trematodes (a kind of flatworm). ...

Geographic Distribution

Fascioliasis occurs worldwide. Human infections with F. hepatica are found in areas where sheep and cattle are raised, and where humans consume raw watercress, including Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Infections with F. gigantica have been reported, more rarely, in Asia, Africa, and Hawaii. Specific species of snails as intermediate hosts have to be present also (Pulmonata, Genera Lymnaea, Fossaria, Galba, Radix). Binomial name Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758 Cattle (called cows in vernacular usage) are domesticated ungulates, a member of the subfamily Bovinae of the family Bovidae. ... Species Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum (L.) Karsten Rorippa microphylla (Boenn. ... World map showing Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiogeographic one. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... World map showing Asia. ... A satellite composite image of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. ... Official language(s) Hawaiian and English Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 43rd 28,337 km² n/a km 2,450 km 41. ... Suborders Systellommatophora Basommatophora Eupulmonata Taxonomy Order Pulmonata Cuvier in Blainville, 1814 (pulmonates) Suborder Systellommatophora Pilsbry, 1948 Superfamily Onchidioidea Rafinesque, 1815 Superfamily Otinoidea H. & A. Adams, 1855 Superfamily Rathouisioidea Sarasin, 1889 Suborder Basommatophora Keferstein in Bronn, 1864 (freshwater pulmonates, pond snails) Superfamily Acroloxoidea Thiele, 1931 Superfamily Amphiboloidea J.E. Gray, 1840... Head of Galba at the Louvre. ... The radix (Latin for root), also called base, is the number of various unique symbols (or digits or numerals) a positional numeral system uses to represent numbers. ...

Clinical Features

During the acute phase (caused by the migration of the immature fluke through the hepatic parenchyma), symptoms include abdominal pain, hepatomegaly (enlarged liver), fever, vomiting, diarrhea, urticaria and eosinophilia, and can last for months. In the chronic phase (caused by the adult fluke within the bile ducts), the symptoms are more distinct and reflect intermittent biliary obstruction and inflammation. Occasionally, ectopic locations of infection (such as intestinal wall, lungs, subcutaneous tissue, and pharyngeal mucosa) can occur. Acute phase proteins are a class of proteins that are synthetized in the liver in response to inflammation. ... This article is about non-human migration. ... The liver is an organ in vertebrates including humans. ... The parenchyma are the functional parts of an organ in the body (i. ... The term symptom (from the Greek syn = con/plus and pipto = fall, together meaning co-exist) has two similar meanings in the context of physical and mental health: A symptom may loosely be said to be a physical condition which shows that one has a particular illness or disorder (see... Abdominal pain can be one of the symptoms associated with transient disorders or serious disease. ... Hepatomegaly is an enlargement of the liver (swelling). ... See Fever for the Kylie Minogue album; Fever is also a song by Otis Blackwell. ... Vomiting (or emesis) is the forceful expulsion of the contents of ones stomach through the mouth. ... Diarrhea (American English) or diarrhoea (Commonwealth English) is a condition in which the sufferer has frequent and watery, chunky, or loose bowel movements (from the ancient Greek word διαρροή = leakage; lit. ... Eosinophilia is the state of having high eosinophil granulocytes in the blood. ... The word chronic comes from Chronos, the ancient Greek god of time. ... A bile duct is any of a number of long tube-like structures that carry bile. ... Inflammation is the first response of the immune system to infection or irritation and may be referred to as the innate cascade. ... The intestine is the portion of the alimentary canal extending from the stomach to the anus and, in humans and mammals, consists of two segments, the small intestine and the large intestine. ... The lungs flank the heart and great vessels in the chest cavity. ... Biological tissue is a substance made up of cells that perform a similar function. ...

Laboratory Diagnosis

Microscopic identification of eggs is useful in the chronic (adult) stage for diagnosis. Eggs can be recovered in the stools or in material obtained by duodenal (small intestine) or biliary drainage. They are morphologically indistinguishable from those of the fluke F. buski. False fascioliasis (pseudofascioliasis) refers to the presence of eggs in the stool resulting not from an actual infection but from recent ingestion of infected livers containing eggs. This situation (with its potential for misdiagnosis) can be avoided by having the patient follow a liver-free diet several days before a repeat stool examination. Antibody detection tests are useful especially in the early invasive stages, when the eggs are not yet apparent in the stools, or in ectopic fascioliasis. An average Whooping Crane egg is 102 mm long, and weighs 208 grams A baby tortoise emerges from a reptile egg. ... Diagnosis (from the Greek words dia = by and gnosis = knowledge) is the process of identifying a disease by its signs, symptoms and results of various diagnostic procedures. ... Look up stool in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... In anatomy of the digestive system, the duodenum is a hollow jointed tube connecting the stomach to the jejunum. ... Diagram showing the small intestine In biology the small intestine is the part of the gastrointestinal tract between the stomach and the large intestine (colon). ... Diet may mean: In nutrition: Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group. ... Schematic of antibody binding to an antigen An antibody is a protein used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects like bacteria and viruses. ...

Treatment

Unlike infections with other flukes, F. hepatica infections may not respond to Praziquantel. The drug of choice is triclabendazole with bithionol as an alternative. // Chemical Designation 2-(Cyclohexylcarbonyl)-1,2,3,6,7,11b-hexahydro-4H-pyrazino(2,1-alpha)isoquinolin-4-one History Praziquantel was developed in the laboratories (parasitological research) of Bayer AG in Germany (Elberfeld) 30 years ago. ... A medication is a licenced drug taken to cure or reduce symptoms of an illness or medical condition. ... Triclabendazole (commercial name Fasinex) is a member of the Benzimidazole family of anthelmintics. ...

High prevalence in the Bolivian Altiplano

In the high plane of bolivia about 15% of the population is infected with Fasciola hepatica: The Altiplano (Spanish for high plain), where the Andes are at their widest, is the most extensive area of high plateau on earth outside of Tibet. ... A Liver Fluke(Fasciola hepatica) is a trematode (flat worm). ...

• "Case-control analysis indicated that the only factor associated with illness was eating kjosco (an aquatic plant) while tending animals in the fields; 27 (52%) of the 52 case-patients vs. 9 (14%) of the 66 controls ate kjosco (OR = 6.84; 95% CI = 2.60, 18.44)...... Fascioliasis is a significant human health problem and is highly endemic in the Aymara Indian community in the Bolivian Altiplano. Efforts to prevent fascioliasis should include educating people to avoid eating uncooked aquatic plants such as kjosco." cited from: An outbreak of acute fascioliasis among Aymara Indians in the Bolivian Altiplano. (1996) [1].

• "Humans are infected by drinking contaminated fresh or field water, or by consuming uncooked aquatic plants, especially watercress (berro), algae (algas), tortora, and kjosco." cited from: Hypereosinophilia and liver mass in an immigrant, 2002, [2].

Aquatic plants — also called hydrophytic plants or hydrophytes — are plants that have adapted to living in or on aquatic environments. ... Aymara is the name of a South-American people and of their language. ... The Altiplano (Spanish for high plain), where the Andes are at their widest, is the most extensive area of high plateau on earth outside of Tibet. ... Aquatic plants, also called hydrophytic plants or hydrophytes. ... Species Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum (L.) Karsten Rorippa microphylla (Boenn. ... A seaweed (Laurencia) up close: the branches are multicellular and only about 1 mm thick. ...

External link

• Fascioliasis