Fasciola hepatica (F. hepatica)

Fasciola hepatica, commonly known as the common liver fluke or sheep liver fluke, is a parasitic trematode that infects the livers of various mammals, including humans (Source: CDC, 2020). It is the primary causative agent of fascioliasis, a neglected tropical disease that progresses from an acute phase of larval migration through the liver parenchyma to a chronic phase where adult flukes reside in the bile ducts (Source: WHO, 2023). The parasite's complex life cycle involves freshwater snails as intermediate hosts and the ingestion of encysted metacercariae on aquatic vegetation by definitive hosts (Source: Mas-Coma et al., 2005). Pharmacological intervention primarily utilizes triclabendazole, which targets the parasite's tubulin, although the rise of drug-resistant strains in both livestock and human populations presents a major therapeutic challenge (Source: Fairweather, 2011). Effective management requires a combination of anthelmintic therapy, diagnostic monitoring via serology or stool examination, and public health measures to limit environmental transmission (Source: Nyindo & Lukambagire, 2015).

Other names

Common liver flukeSheep liver fluke

Triclabendazole acts by binding to beta-tubulin, thereby inhibiting microtubule polymerization and disrupting the parasite's tegument and internal transport systems (Source: Fairweather, 2005). Nitazoxanide interferes with the pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PFOR) enzyme-dependent electron transfer reaction, which is essential for anaerobic energy metabolism in the parasite (Source: Fox & Saravolatz, 2005).