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| == ''Schistosoma'' Species == | | == ''Schistosoma'' Species == |
− | *The schistosomes are also known as "blood-flukes". | + | *The schistosomes are also known as "blood-flukes" |
− | *There are several important species producing serious human and animal disease in the tropics. | + | *There are several important species producing serious human and animal disease in the tropics |
− | *The pathology is mostly associated with the passage of eggs through the liver, urinary bladder or intestinal wall (depending on the predilection site of the fluke). | + | *The pathology is mostly associated with the passage of eggs through the liver, urinary bladder or intestinal wall (depending on the predilection site of the fluke) |
− | *As their common name suggests, the adults live in blood-vessels. | + | *As their common name suggests, the adults live in blood vessels |
− | *Unusually for a trematode, the sexes are separate. | + | *Unusually for a trematode, the sexes are separate |
− | *The smaller female lies enveloped by the male. | + | *The smaller female lies enveloped by the male |
− | *The eggs of most species have spikes to assist their passage through host tissue to get into faeces or urine (depending on predilection site). | + | *The eggs of most species have spikes to assist their passage through host tissue to get into faeces or urine (depending on predilection site) |
− | *The intermediate hosts are water snails. | + | *The intermediate hosts are water snails |
− | *On release, the cercariae swim in water and actively seek their final host, which they enter by skin penetration - there is, therefore, no metacercaria stage. | + | *On release, the cercariae swim in water and actively seek their final host, which they enter by skin penetration |
| + | **There is therefore no metacercaria stage |