Johns Hopkins ABX Guide
Fasciola hepatica
MICROBIOLOGY
- Trematode (fluke) infection contracted in sheep-/goat-raising areas in temperate climates with humans as accidental hosts.
- Requires aquatic snail as intermediate host (e.g., Lymnaea truncatula).
- Cercariae spread to water and encyst as metacercariae on vegetation.
- Infection occurs by eating uncooked foods such as watercress or food made with contaminated water.
- F. hepatica and F. gigantica are the major human pathogens.
- F. gigantica is restricted to Africa and Asia, whereas F. hepatica is found in all five continents.
- The highest rates of F. hepatica infection have been reported in Bolivia, Peru, Egypt, Iran, Portugal, and France.
- The highest rates of F. hepatica infection have been reported in Bolivia, Peru, Egypt, Iran, Portugal, and France.
- Life cycle: [Fig 1]
- Herbivore (sheep or goats) sheds eggs in feces
- The eggs hatch as ciliated miracidia
- Miracidia infect snails
- Miracidia hatch to cercaria
- Cercaria shed by snails and encyst on plants ("metacercaria")
- Humans/herbivores ingest plants
- Cysts hatch in the small intestine and burrow through the intestinal wall
- Peritoneal metacercaria burrow through the liver wall
- Metacercaria mature in the liver over 2-4 months (end of acute phase)
- Migration to biliary ducts to begin chronic obstructive phase
- Eggs shed in feces
There's more to see -- the rest of this topic is available only to subscribers.
Last updated: January 23, 2023
Citation
Fabre, Valeria. "Fasciola Hepatica." Johns Hopkins ABX Guide, The Johns Hopkins University, 2023. Johns Hopkins Guides, www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_ABX_Guide/540220/all/Fasciola_hepatica.
Fabre V. Fasciola hepatica. Johns Hopkins ABX Guide. The Johns Hopkins University; 2023. https://www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_ABX_Guide/540220/all/Fasciola_hepatica. Accessed September 25, 2023.
Fabre, V. (2023). Fasciola hepatica. In Johns Hopkins ABX Guide. The Johns Hopkins University. https://www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_ABX_Guide/540220/all/Fasciola_hepatica
Fabre V. Fasciola Hepatica [Internet]. In: Johns Hopkins ABX Guide. The Johns Hopkins University; 2023. [cited 2023 September 25]. Available from: https://www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_ABX_Guide/540220/all/Fasciola_hepatica.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - ELEC
T1 - Fasciola hepatica
ID - 540220
A1 - Fabre,Valeria,M.D.
Y1 - 2023/01/23/
BT - Johns Hopkins ABX Guide
UR - https://www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_ABX_Guide/540220/all/Fasciola_hepatica
PB - The Johns Hopkins University
DB - Johns Hopkins Guides
DP - Unbound Medicine
ER -
