TREMATODES

TREMATODES / FLUKES BLOOD FLUKES - Schistosoma spp.

 leaf-shaped, unsegmented, flat, & broad  Lives in: vascular system / venous plexuses
 Phylum: Platyhelminthes  Cause Schistosomiasis (2nd most devastating tropical parasitic disease)
 Class: Trematoda  Order: Strigeida
 Superfamily: Schistosomatoides
 Adult worm:  Family: Schistosomatidae
 Unsegmented & flattened dorsoventrally but have thick fleshy bodies
(schistosomes)  Adult worms:
 Sucker:  Live in venous plexuses of the definitve host
 Aids in movement and enable the flukes to maintain their position  Body: cylindrical, covered w/ thick tuberculated & syncytial tegument
inside the veins  No muscular pharynx; intestinal caeca reunite behind ventral sucker to
 Oral sucker - anterior form canal
 Ventral sucker - acetabulum  Suckers: armed w/ delicate spines
 Genital sucker / gonotyl - heterophyids  Sexes are diecious (separate)
 Oral & ventral sucker - muscular cup-shaped (hence called  Male worm gas sex canal (gynecophoric canal) on ventral side on
distomata) which the female worm reposes

 Digestive system:  Eggs:

 Incomplete  Non-operculated w/ spine-like projection
 Caeca - pair of blind intestinal pouches  Fully embryonated when excreted in urine & feces
 most trematodes are hermaphrodites (monoecious) but schistosomes are  Hatch out immediately to form miracidia
diecious (sexes are separate)
 Excretory system - bilaterally symmetrical; consists of flame cells & collecting  Larva:
tubules  Miracidium → Sporocyst → Cercaria
 Nervous system - paired ganglia  Cercaria:
 Oviparous (lay eggs)  Infective form to man (penetration)
 Forked tail but no pharynx
 Larva: miracidium, sporocyst, redia, cercaria, metacercaria  No rediae & metacercariae stages

 Host:  Host:
 One definitive, 2 intermediate  Definitive: Humans
 Definitive: human  Intermediate: Snail - Oncomelania
 1st intermediate: freshwater snail / mollusc
 2nd intermediate: aquatic plant, fish / crab

 MOT:
 Ingestion of metacercariae through aquatic plants, fish / crabs
 Penetration of free living cercariae (schistosomes)
 All schistosomes live in venous plexuses

Bedrijo