A parasitic flatworm which can infest the liver.
A small flatworm that can invade the bile ducts of the liver. In the United States, the risk of infestation is confined to parts of the West and South and involves a specific type of fluke called Fasciola bepatica. This fluke is found in sheep feces and aquatic vegetation, especially watercress. An infestation can result in inflammation and obstruction of the bile ducts, enlargement of the liver, and jaundice (a yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes). Treatment is with medication. A different species of liver fluke that is associated with freshwater fish is common in far eastern Asia.
Fasciola hepatica is a parasite infesting sheep and occasionally invading the bile ducts and liver of humans.
One of several species of fluke infesting the liver and bile ducts. Those infesting humans include Clonorchis sinensis, Fasciola hepatica, Dicrocoelium dendriticum, and Opisthorchis felineus. Adult liver flukes infest biliary and pancreatic ducts. The eggs pass from the body with the feces and continue thendevelopment in snails of the subfamily Buliminae (family Hydrobiidae), Cercariae emerge and infest numerous species of freshwater fishes in which they encyst. Infestation results from eating raw fish containing encysted metacercariae.
Several fluke species (flatworms) can inhabit the bile ducts within the liver. The prominent fluke in the UK is Fasciola Hepatica, which gives rise to the ailment known as fascioliasis.
Fascioliasis comprises two distinct stages. In the initial stage, juvenile flukes traverse the liver, inducing tenderness and enlargement of the organ; additional symptoms encompass fever and night sweats. The subsequent stage involves mature worms taking up residence in the bile ducts. Their presence might result in cholangitis (inflammation of the bile duct) and the obstruction of bile ducts, potentially leading to jaundice. The application of anthelmintic medication could prove efficacious in treatment.