What is the Sheep Liver Fluke?Parasitic infection caused by two species

• Fasciola hepatica• Fasciola gigantica

Larval flukes that migrate through the intestinal wall, abdominal cavity, liver tissue and into bile ducts where they produce eggs

Eukaryotic

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Platyhelminthes (Flatworms)

Class: Trematoda (Flukes)

Order: Echinostomida (Bile Ducts)

Four Phases of InfectionIncubation phase – ingestion to first symptom signs

Acute phase – fever, vomiting, abdominal pain, rash, Anemia, Jaundice

Latent phase – months or year

Chronic phase – develop months to years after infection

- inflammation of liver, gallbladder, and pancreas, biliary obstruction can lead to fibrosis and cirrhosis

30 mm by 13 mm

Mammalian and Aquatic Life Cycle

Assessing the Parasite

Mature Flukes do not produce eggs until about 4 months after infection

Development of blood tests - ELISA

CT scans for burrows from the worms

Treatment Protocols Triclabendazole – 1 to 2 doses in 24 hour period

Bithionol – 5 to 10 dose course

Moving ForwardStrict control of the sale of watercress and other water plants

Thoroughly cook vegetables and avoid contaminated water

Pesticides against host snails

Chemotherapy to decrease animal reservoir

First Appearance

First discovered by a French man in 1379 in his sheep

Eggs have been discovered in mummies

A Widespread Distribution

Over 75 countries – none free from risk

South American highlands

Highly endemic areas – prevalent in school age children

Hypo-endemic pattern – climate dependent

A New Drug: Oxfendazole

http://www.stanford.edu/class/humbio103/ParaSites2001/fascioliasis/Fasciola.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/fasciola/

http://www.bvgh.org/Biopharmaceutical-Solutions/Global-Health-Primer/Diseases/cid/ViewDetails/ItemID/23.aspx

http://www.who.int/foodborne_trematode_infections/fascioliasis/fascioliasis_epidemiology/en/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasciola_hepatica