![]() Fertilized eggs are passed out through the feces. The metacercaria take about six to seven weeks to mature inside the bile duct and produce eggs after a month. Inside the definitive host’s intestine the parasite will migrate to the liver using the bile duct. This increases the chance of the ant being eaten by the definitive host, which are grazers of pasture land. When the temperature decreases the ants appear and attach to the top of grass where they do not move. Once ingested by the ant, most of the metacercaria encyst in the hemocoel but two or three reach the brain of the ant and are called “brainworms.” The few metacercaria in the brain cause the ant to alter its behavior. An ant will ingest this slime ball, becoming the second intermediate host of the parasite. ![]() The cercariae leave the sporocyst and are expelled from the snail host in a slime ball. ![]() The sporocyst asexually reproduces, creating numerous daughter sporocysts that contain cercariae. The miracidium then penetrates the intestinal wall band and becomes a mother sporocyst. A miracidium is released from the egg once it is inside the snail’s intestine. The feces, along with the eggs are eaten by a snail, which is the intermediate host. Range length 6 to 10 mm 0.24 to 0.39 inĮggs are passed in the feces of the definitive host.( Carney, 1969 Roberts and Janovy Jr, 2008) The cercariae then develop into metacercariae then finally into their adult stage. dendriticum infect organisms in terrestrial environments. The cercariae have tails and a stylet, which are normal characteristics of aquatic cercariae even though D. The eggs develop into larvae, or miracidium, and then into the juvenile stage called cercariae. Eggs are operculated and are about 36-45 µm long by 22-30 µm wide. The body length is 6 to 10 mm, ranging from 1.5-2.5 mm in width. Lobed testes are on the anterior ventral portion and the oral suckers are at the anterior end of the organism. The vitellaria are in the midsection of the body, and the uterus is on the posterior end of the body. ( Ansari-Lari and Moazzeni, 2006 Roberts and Janovy Jr, 2008)ĭicrocoelium dendricitum has a tapered, lancet-shaped, flattened body and is semitransparent. ![]() The eggs are released in the feces and two other intermediate stages involve infecting landsnails and ants. ( Roberts and Janovy Jr, 2008)ĭicrocoelium dendricitum resides in the liver of domesticated animals and other grassland wildlife. The lancet liver fluke, Dicrocoelium dendricitum, is found throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, North America and Australia. ![]()
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