

Association between liver fluke infection and hepatobiliary pathological changes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. We link primary sources - including studies, scientific references, and statistics - within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. anaemia which can be seen through pale gums and membranes around the eyes.Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations.The clinical signs for chronic disease develop slowly as the adult fluke accumulate in the bile ducts within the liver. Gums and eyes may also take on a yellow hue due to jaundice anaemia which can be seen through pale gums and membranes around the eyes.It is brown to pale-grey in colour and measures 2.15-3 cm x 1.2-1.5 cm. weight loss and general ill-thrift, leading to reduced production Body of liver fluke is soft, flattened, leaf-like with a triangular head lobe (Fig. Fasciola hepatica, also known as the common liver fluke or sheep liver fluke, is a parasitic trematode (fluke or flatworm, a type of helminth) of the class Trematoda, phylum Platyhelminthes.This causes substantial liver damage which results in: Chronic disease is most common in cattle and can occur any time but is most common from autumn to spring.Īcute disease tends to follow a relatively short term intake of a massive number of fluke cysts. Liver fluke can produce either acute or chronic disease.Īcute disease is most common in sheep and usually occurs from late summer to late autumn.


Conditions where liver fluke is likely to occur Fascioliasis is an infectious disease caused by Fasciola parasites, which are flat worms referred to as liver flukes. It is also an economic cost to the meat industry due to condemnation of livers that the fluke burrow through on the way to the bile ducts. Liver fluke infection reduces animal productivity on-farm. If the snails are not present, the liver fluke lifecycle cannot be completed as the larvae develop in the snail (for 2-3 months) before passing from the snail to form cysts which are then eaten by the livestock. The lifecycle of the liver fluke requires two hosts:host (a small freshwater snail) and the definitive host (cattle, sheep, goats, alpacas, horses etc.). It is a zoonotic disease which means humans can also be infected. Liver fluke can infect cattle, sheep and goats, as well as a range of other animal species.
