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F. Hepatica

The document discusses two species of liver flukes - Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica. It describes their morphology, life cycles, transmission, pathology caused in livestock and humans, diagnosis, treatment and prevention. F. hepatica is the common liver fluke found in temperate regions while F. gigantica is the giant liver fluke found in tropical areas. Both infect the livers of sheep, cattle and other mammals through ingestion of aquatic plants containing encysted larvae.

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Micaella Remillo
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47 views

F. Hepatica

The document discusses two species of liver flukes - Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica. It describes their morphology, life cycles, transmission, pathology caused in livestock and humans, diagnosis, treatment and prevention. F. hepatica is the common liver fluke found in temperate regions while F. gigantica is the giant liver fluke found in tropical areas. Both infect the livers of sheep, cattle and other mammals through ingestion of aquatic plants containing encysted larvae.

Uploaded by

Micaella Remillo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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FASCIOLA

HEPATICA
F. HEPATICA F. GIGANTICA

◦ Aka sheep liver fluke ◦ Aka giant liver fluke


◦ Temperate liver fluke ◦ Tropical liver fluke
◦ Common liver fluke ◦ Lanceolate, leaf-shaped taper at both
ends.
DESCRIPTION
◦ Phylum: Platyhelminthes
• Class: Trematoda
• Habitat: Bile duct of liver and Gallbadder
• Route of infection: Ingestion of aquatic plants with encysted larva metacercariae
• Definitive host: Sheep, cattle and, infects the liver of various mammals
• Intermediate host: Freshwater snails
• Infective stage: Encysted metacercariae on vegetations
• Diseases: Fascioliasis, liver rot
F. HEPATICA

Adult

Egg
MORPHOLOGY OF ADULT F. HEPATICA
• Appearance: Yellowish-brown and pale gray in color with spiny tegument.
• Suckers: 2 suckers, the oral at the anterior tip(smaller) and ventral at the level of shoulder(larger).
• At the anterior end there is a cone-like projection followed by broad shoulders
• Intestine: Both the intestinal caeca show several lateral compound branches
• Genital system: It is hermaphrodite (male & female sex orga) like other trematodes
Testis are branched and tandemly placed
The ovary is branched and anterior to the testis
The field between the ovary and ventral sucker is occupied by uterine coils that lead to the
genital pore
• Vitelline glands are scattered at the lateral field.
• Longevity: Adult=5-10 yrs in sheep and 9-13 yrs in man. Adult lays approx. 20,000 eggs per day
F. GIGANTICA

Adult

Egg
MORPHOLOGY OF ADULT F. GIGANTICA
•Bigger than Fasciola hepatica (5-7 cm in length)
• More lanceolate
• At the anterior end cone is less prominent than Fasciola hepatica
• Cuticle is spiny
• Internal morphology is the same as Fasciola hepatica.
F. HEPATICA EGGS
• Operculum: Operculated and
unembryonated (contains a big unsegmented
ovum)
• Colour: Brownish yellow
• Size: 130-150m x 63-90um, ovoid
• Concentration: Eggs do not float in the
saturated solution of common salt
• Egg can further develop only in water
F. GIGANTICA EGGS
•Larger but very similar to Fasciola hepatica
ova
First Intermediate Host:
• Lymnaeid snails
➢ freshwater snail

• Second Intermediate Host:


➢ Watercress
➢ Grass
➢ Definitive host:
➢ Sheep Cattle
➢ Human (accidental)
➢ Other mammals

Diagnostic stage:
• Ova

Infective stage:
• Metacercaria
EPIDEMIOLOGY
◦ Worldwide distribution.
◦ Human infection is frequent in Cuba, southern France, Great Britain, and Algeria.
◦ Humans contract the disease by ingesting plants such as watercress or possibly water
containing the encysted metacercariae.
◦ Few human cases are reported locally.
◦ Economic importance in livestock raising.
◦ Cosmopolitan throughout the sheep and cattle-raising countries of the world.
◦ In the Philippines, the dominant species is F. gigantica affecting cattle and water
buffalos.
◦ Cannot be transmitted by humans.
PATHOLOGY
◦ FASCIOLIASIS
◦ Asymptomatic
◦ Right upper quadrant abdominal pain, chills and fever accompanied by eosinophilia
◦ Hepatomegaly
◦ Acute or invasive phase
◦ Migration from intestine to liver
◦ Necrotic foci (liver rot)
◦ Toxic secretions cause hepatitis
◦ Chronic or latent phase
◦ Asymptomatic
◦ Parasite has reached the bile ducts causing irritation resulting in hyperplasia and bile obstruction
◦ Stimulates inflammation in the biliary epithelium leading to fibrosis
◦ Obstruction causes biliary sepsis
DIAGNOSIS
◦ Based on consumption of a sheep or cattle rearing and a history of consumption of a home
grown vegetables or watercress.
◦ Together with some features of fever, eosinophilia, enlarged liver and raised blood
transaminase level.
◦ Fecalysis
◦ Duodenal or Billary Aspirate
◦ Antibody Test- can detect 2 weeks after infection
◦ Ultrasound- visualize adults in bile duct
◦ CT Scan- reveals burrows in liver
◦ Complement fixation- extrahepatic infection
TREATMENT
◦ Bithional
◦ Highly Effective, Large Dose, High Cost, Long Treatment Period
◦ 20-50 mg/kg body weight on alternate days to complete 10 to 5 doses
◦ Triclabendazole
◦ Easier to Use, 1-2 Oral Doses in 24 hrs, Virtually 100% Effective
◦ Surgery
◦ Dichlorophenol (bithionol) - 30-50mg.kg on alternate doses for 10-15
doses
◦ Dehydroemetine - (1 mg/kg daily intramuscularly for 10n days
PREVENTION AND CONTROL
◦ No vaccine is available to protect people against Fasciola infection.
◦ Individual people can protect themselves by not eating raw watercress and other
water plants, especially from Fasciola-endemic grazing areas.
◦ Education
❑Cheapest and Most Cost Effective Way
❑Wash Aquatic Vegetables in 6% Vinegar for 5-10 minutes
❑Avoid sewage contamination areas
❑Better herding practices
❑Keep herds away from aquatic areas
◦ Molluscicide- controls Intermediate Snail Host
END OF
PRESENTATION.

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