Fil:Heterophyes LifeCycle.gif

Adults release embryonated eggs each with a fully-developed miracidium, and eggs are passed in the host's feces . After ingestion by a suitable snail (first intermediate host), the eggs hatch and release miracidia which penetrate the snail’s intestine . Genera Cerithidia and Pironella are important snail hosts in Asia and the Middle East respectively. The miracidia undergo several developmental stages in the snail, i.e. sporocysts , rediae , and cercariae . Many cercariae are produced from each redia. The cercariae are released from the snail and encyst as metacercariae in the tissues of a suitable fresh/brackish water fish (second intermediate host) . The definitive host becomes infected by ingesting undercooked or salted fish containing metacercariae . After ingestion, the metacercariae excyst, attach to the mucosa of the small intestine and mature into adults (measuring 1.0 to 1.7 mm by 0.3 to 0.4 mm) . In addition to humans, various fish-eating mammals (e.g., cats and dogs) and birds can be infected by Heterophyes heterophyes

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