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[[Image:Fasciola hepatica.jpg|thumb|right|150px|''Fasciola hepatica - Wikimedia Commons]]

[[Image:Fasciola hepatica.jpg|thumb|right|150px|''Fasciola hepatica - Wikimedia Commons]]

[[Image:Fasciola hepatica adult.jpg|thumb|right|150px|''Fasciola hepatica'' adults from a horse - Castellà Veterinary Parasitology Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona]]

[[Image:Fasciola hepatica adult.jpg|thumb|right|150px|''Fasciola hepatica'' adults from a horse - Castellà Veterinary Parasitology Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona]]

The adult liver fluke, ''Fasciola hepatica'', lives in the bile ducts of a wide range of animals, including sheep, cattle, rabits and, less often, horses. It can infect humans causing a painful abdominal disease. The intermediate host in the UK is a mud snail, ''Lymnaea truncatula''. Significant economic losses occur in western parts of the British Isles. Deaths, clinical and subclinical disease in cattle is confined to a younger stock. Fasciolosis is a seasonal disease with more serious outbreaks occurring in some years than in others. A similar but slightly larger species, ''F. gigantica'', occurs in wetter tropical regions.

The adult liver fluke, ''Fasciola hepatica'', lives in the bile ducts of a wide range of animals, including sheep, cattle, rabbits and, less often, horses. It can infect humans causing a painful abdominal disease. The intermediate host in the UK is a mud snail, ''Lymnaea truncatula''. It causes significant economic losses in western parts of the British Isles due to deaths, clinical and subclinical cattle disease confined mostly to the younger stock. Fasciolosis is a seasonal disease with more serious outbreaks occurring in some years than in others. A similar but slightly larger species, ''F. gigantica'', occurs in wetter tropical regions.

 

=== Ovine Fasciolosis ===

=== Ovine Fasciolosis ===

'''Acute fasciolosis''': sudden death; normally September-November; enlarged pale, friable, haemorrhagic liver with more than 1000 immature flukes in liver parenchyma. (In cattle, acute disease is rarely seen).

'''Acute fasciolosis'''

*Sudden death

*Normally '''September-November'''

*Enlarged pale, friable, haemorrhagic liver  

*More than 1000 immature flukes in liver parenchyma

NOTE: Acute disease is rarely seen in cattle

'''Sub-acute fasciolosis''': rapid weight-loss over 1-2weeks; October-December; normochromic anaemia; enlarged liver with large haemorrhages; more than 500 flukes - 50:50 immature and adult.

'''Sub-acute fasciolosis'''

*Rapid weight-loss over 1-2 weeks

*Occurs '''October-December'''

*Normochromic anaemia

*Enlarged liver with large haemorrhages

*More than 500 flukes - 50:50 immature and adult

'''Chronic fasciolosis''': progressive weight-loss over weeks or months; January-March; anaemia normochronic, leads to hypochromic; hypoalbuminaemia, which leads to oedema; small distorted cirrhotic liver; enlarged bile ducts; more than 250 adult flukes. (In cattle, calcification of bile ducts leads to 'pipe-stem' liver).

'''Chronic fasciolosis'''

*Progressive weight-loss over weeks or months

*Occurs '''January-March'''

*Normochromic anaemia often becoming hypochromic

*Hypoalbuminaemia leading to oedema

*Small, distorted cirrhotic liver

*Enlarged bile ducts

*More than 250 adult flukes  

NOTE: Calcification of bile duct in cattle leading to 'pipe-stem' liver

'''Sub-clinical effects''':

'''Sub-clinical effects''':