Fasciola hepatica, also known as the common liver fluke, is a parasitic flatworm that infects the livers of sheep and cattle. Its complex life cycle involves freshwater snails acting as intermediate hosts. Humans can become accidentally infected by consuming raw freshwater plants containing the fluke larvae. The flukes mature and reproduce in the bile ducts of the liver, causing a disease called fascioliasis. Symptoms range from asymptomatic to abdominal pain and liver damage. Diagnosis involves examining stool samples for fluke eggs or conducting imaging tests and antibody tests. Treatment primarily involves administering deworming medications like triclabendazole or bithionol.

1. Fasciola hapetica
Presented to:Mrs.Sabiha Fazal
Roll no:329
BS-IV(8th Semester)

2. Taxonomy
 Kingdom: Animalia
 Phylum: Platyhelminthes
 Class: Trematoda
 Subclass: Digenea (“two generations”)
 Order: Echinostomida
 Family: Fasciolidae
 Genus: Fasciola

3. Fasciola hepatica
 The disease caused by the fluke is called fascioliasis
 Fasciola hepatica
 Sheep liver fluke
 Temperate liver fluke
 Common Liver Fluke
 Fasciola gigantica
 Giant liver fluke
 Tropical liver fluke

4. Fasciola hepatica
 Mode of transmission is by ingestion of
metacercariae found in edible aquatic plants or
by drinking water with floating metacercariae
 Metacercariae excsts in the duodenum or
jejunum and liberate the juvenile fluke
 Juvenile fluke penetrates the intestinal wall and
reaches the liver capsule
 The parasite burrows into the liver parenchyma
where it grows and develops
 It becomes sexually mature in the bile ducts

5. Fasciola hepatica
Adult Worm
Large, broad, flat body
Leaf shaped
Anterior end forms a prominent cephalic cone
Small oral and ventral suckers
Long and highly branched intestinal caeca

6. Fasciola hepatica and gigantica

7. Fasciola hepatica and gigantica
 Definitive host:
 Sheep
 Cattle
 Humans (Accidental)
 Other Mammals
 Intermediate host
Fresh Water Snail

8. Fasciola hepatica Ova
Large
Hen’s egg shaped
Ovoid
Operculated
Bile stained
Unsegmented

9. Life cycle of F.hepatica
 The life cycle of Fasciola hepatica starts when a
female lays eggs in the liver of an infected
human. Immature eggs are discharged in the
biliary ducts and taken out in the feces. If landed
in water, the eggs become embryonated and
develop larvae called miracidia. A miracidium
invades an aquatic snail and develops into
cercaria, a larva that is capable of swimming with
its large tail.

10. Cycle of events in infection
The cercaria exits and finds
aquatic vegetation where it forms
a cyst called Metacercariae.
A human eats the raw freshwater
plant containing the cyst.
The Metacercariae excysts in
the first part of the small intestine,
duodenum. It then penetrates the
intestinal wall and gets into
the peritoneal cavity.

11. Fasciola species Life Cycle

12. Fasciola species
Pathogenesis and Clinical Manifestations
 Fascioliasis
 Asymptomatic
 Can produce fever
 Right upper quadrant abdominal pain
 Hypereosinophilia
 Acute or invasive phase
 Migration from intestine to liver
 Traumatic and necrotic lesions in liver parenchyma
 Chronic or latent phase
 Asymptomatic
 Parasite has reached the bile ducts
 Obstruction
 Stimulates inflammation in the biliary epithelium leading to fibrosis
 Obstruction causes Biliary sepsis

13. Fasciola species Diagnosis
 Microscopy
-demonstration of eggs in the Stool Samples
 Yellow-Brown Eggs
 Eggs Don’t Show for 4 Months
 Duodenal or Biliary Aspirate
 Antibody Test
 Can detect 2 Weeks After Infection
 Ultrasound
 Visualize Adults in Bile Duct
 CT Scan
 Reveals Burrows in Liver

14. Fasciola species Treatment
 Bithionol
 20-50 mg/kg body weight on alternate days to
complete 10 to 5 doses
 Triclabendazole
 Also a recommended drug of choice due to:
 Efficacy
 Safety
 Ease of use

15. Control
 Education
 Cheapest and Most Cost Effective Way
 Wash Aquatic Vegetables in 6% Vinegar for 5-10
minutes
 Better herding practices
Keep herds away from aquatic areas
 Moluskicide
 Controls Intermediate Snail Host