A flatworm parasite (Fasciola hepatica) that infects the liver and bile ducts of sheep, cattle and other grazing animals after a life cycle that passes through freshwater snails on wet pasture, causing weight loss, reduced fertility and, in heavy acute infections, sudden death. It is a leading cause of production loss in grazing livestock across wet temperate regions worldwide, and mild, wet seasons associated with climate shifts have been linked to expanding fluke risk in parts of Europe.
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Sheep, Livestock The liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica) is a classic and economically significant parasite of grazing sheep.
Sources
1. Liver Fluke (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationOpening definition paragraph
Liver fluke is a collective name of a polyphyletic group of parasitic trematodes under the phylum Platyhelminthes. They are principally parasites of the liver of various mammals, including humans. Capable of moving along the blood circulation, they can occur also in bile ducts, gallbladder, and liver parenchyma. In these organs, they produce pathological lesions leading to parasitic diseases.
lead description
A flatworm parasite (Fasciola hepatica) that infects the liver and bile ducts of sheep, cattle and other grazing animals after a life cycle that passes through freshwater snails on wet pasture, causing weight loss, reduced fertility and, in heavy acute infections, sudden death.
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