FASCIOLA AMERICANA Meaning and
Definition
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Fasciola americana is a species of parasitic flatworm that belongs to the family Fasciolidae. Commonly known as the American liver fluke, it primarily affects the liver of various mammals, particularly herbivores such as cattle, sheep, goats, and deer. This parasitic organism has a complex life cycle involving both a vertebrate host and a mollusk intermediate host.
The adult Fasciola americana resides in the bile ducts of the liver, where it feeds on the host’s blood. These parasites can cause significant damage to the liver, leading to various symptoms like weight loss, anemia, reduced milk production, and even death in severe cases. Eggs are released into the host's feces and upon reaching water, hatch into miracidia, the free-living larval stage.
The miracidia then infect specific freshwater snails, which serve as intermediate hosts. Within the snail, the parasites undergo further development and transform into cercariae, which eventually leave the snail in search of a suitable host. These cercariae penetrate the skin of the mammalian host, migrate through various organs, and eventually reach the liver, where they mature into adult flukes.
Fasciola americana can also infect humans if they come into contact with contaminated water or ingest uncooked watercress or other aquatic plants carrying the parasite. This can result in a condition known as fascioliasis, characterized by symptoms including fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and hepatomegaly (enlarged liver).
Effective control of Fasciola americana involves proper sanitation practices, avoiding consumption of raw aquatic vegetation, and timely treatment of infected animals.
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F. magna, Distomum magnum, a fluke found in the lungs and liver of cattle in North America; it is not known to infest man.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for FASCIOLA AMERICANA
- dasciola americana
- casciola americana
- vasciola americana
- gasciola americana
- tasciola americana
- rasciola americana
- fzsciola americana
- fssciola americana
- fwsciola americana
- fqsciola americana
- faaciola americana
- fazciola americana
- faxciola americana
- fadciola americana
- faeciola americana
- fawciola americana
- fasxiola americana
- fasviola americana
- fasfiola americana
- fasdiola americana
Etymology of FASCIOLA AMERICANA
The word "Fasciola" comes from the Latin term "fascia" which means "ribbon" or "bandage", referring to the shape of the adult fluke. "Americana" is derived from "America", the name of the continent, itself named after the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci, who played a significant role in early European exploration of the Americas. Therefore, "Fasciola americana" translates to "American ribbon" or "American bandage", indicating the fluke's presence in the Americas.
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