In many regions of the world, fascioliasis, a neglected tropical disease brought on by the parasitic flatworms Fasciola hepatica and
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In many regions of the world, fascioliasis, a neglected tropical disease brought on by the parasitic flatworms Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica, poses a serious threat to public health. The complex life cycle of these trematode parasites uses both freshwater snails and mammals, such as people and animals, as their main hosts. People in rural and agricultural regions are more likely to contract the illness since there is a strong relationship between livestock and water sources that have been polluted with the parasite's larvae. Humans that eat watercress or other aquatic plants contaminated with metacercariae, the parasite's infectious stage, become infected. The metacercariae excyst in the small intestine after ingestion and move through the intestinal wall before arriving at the liver. Inflicting tissue injury, inflammation, and potential consequences such fibrosis, abscess formation, and bile duct obstruction, they crawl into the hepatic tissue there. Fascioliasis' acute phase can cause symptoms like hepatomegaly, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, and fever. It can be difficult to get an accurate diagnosis if the disease progresses to a chronic phase with more subtle symptoms if it is not identified and treated right away. The clinical presentation, serological tests, and imaging methods like ultrasonography are frequently used in conjunction to provide a diagnosis. Fascioliasis is mostly treated with praziquantel, an antiparasitic medication that is frequently used. Improved sanitation, avoiding the consumption of tainted food and drink, and treating cattle to lower the parasite reservoir are all examples of preventive methods. Fascioliasis highlights the complex interactions between ecological conditions, human behavior, and disease transmission and highlights the need for integrated control techniques to lessen its effects on both human and animal health.
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