Covers the small liver fluke Dicrocoelium dendriticum, its classification, adult body features and its two intermediate hosts, a land snail and an ant. Walks through the life cycle step by step, then the ant behaviour the parasite induces, and finally the rare human infection and its possible clinical effects such as cholecystitis and liver abscess. Includes recap questions and several mnemonics for the life cycle and the ant behaviour.
Topic 88 of 105 in the MU Sofia syllabus for Biology (Medicine, Year 1). The free AceMed note covers it in 8 sections, about 866 words (6 min of reading), with 9 flashcards.
In this note
Dicrocoelium dendriticum (D.lanceatum).
Overview of Dicrocoelium dendriticum
Hosts and Habitat
Life Cycle of Dicrocoelium dendriticum
Parasite-Induced Behavioral Manipulation
Human Health and Clinical Effects
Recap Questions
Mnemonics
Overview of Dicrocoelium dendriticum
Dicrocoelium dendriticum is a species of parasitic flatworm known commonly as the small liver fluke or the lancelet fluke.
It belongs to the Class Trematoda, which is part of the Phylum Platyhelminthes.
The adult fluke typically measures eight to fifteen millimeters in length and is shaped like a slender lancet.
Structurally, it features an oral sucker and a ventral sucker, as well as internal organs such as a branched intestine, vitellaria (yolk-producing glands located in the middle third of the body), a single ovary, two bilobed testes, a long sac-like excretory bladder, and a uterus.
Hosts and Habitat
The definitive hosts are usually ruminant animals, including sheep, goats, and cattle. Humans and wild ruminants may also become infected.
Adult flukes live in the bile ducts or gallbladder of the definitive host, where they complete their reproductive cycle.
The first intermediate host is a land snail, with Zebrina detrita being a commonly mentioned species.
The second intermediate host is the ant, and a wide variety of ant species can serve this role.
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