Liver Fluke facts: intestinal parasites | Animal Fact Files

Liver flukes are parasitic animals that, as adults, attach to the bile ducts of their hosts and may live their for years without detection. They're small with the largest liver flukes reaching only about 3.15 inches (80mm) in length. These animals have a complex life cycle that includes various larval stages as well as use of an intermediate host like a snail or fish. Humans can get liver flukes by eating raw fish or raw vegetation that has been infected with liver flukes. There are treatment options for humans, but liver flukes can cause quite a lot of damage to livestock. They're difficult to eradicate from a wild area once they've taken residence because a single adult can produce more than 20,000 eggs per day while gravid! That's a lot of potential liver fluke babies. Scientific Name: There is no singular group of "liver flukes" they polyphyletic; classified as flatworms (Phylum: Platyhelminthes). Range: worldwide in suitable habitats Size: 1.18-3.15in (30-80mm) Diet: depends on the life stage, adults feed on the liver of their final host Lifespan: decades as adults in final host ✨ Animal Fact Files Patreon Supporters get early access to videos, get their video requests moved to the top of our request list, and more! ✨ 👉   / animalfactfiles   You can learn more on: Twitter -   / animalfactfiles   Facebook -   / animalfactfiles   --- Image and Video Credits: Thomas Tech -    • Fasciola hepatica cercariae in a Lymnaeid ...   Clinical Parasitology -    • Opisthorchis felineus   Flukeman - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Alan R Walker - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Circa24 - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Banchob Stripa - Sripa B. (2008) "Concerted Action Is Needed to Tackle Liver Fluke Infections in Asia". PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases 2(5): e232. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0000232. Figure 1, D. / https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Research Credits: https://www.google.com/books/edition/... https://www.google.com/books/edition/... https://www.google.com/books/edition/... https://www.google.com/books/edition/... https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/liver_f... https://www.scops.org.uk/internal-par... https://byjus.com/biology/liver-fluke... https://www.vedantu.com/biology/liver... https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vm089 https://www.merriam-webster.com/dicti... https://www.merriam-webster.com/dicti...