General Information About Fascioloides magna

Abstract

Giant liver fluke Fascioloides magna is a veterinary important liver parasite of free-living and domestic ruminants. This chapter provides general characterization and basic data on the parasite, with focus on its taxonomy, morphology, life cycle, clinical signs, pathology and treatment. Different taxonomic classification and scientific names of the species, and currently accepted taxonomy of F. magna are provided in Sect. 1.1. The second part is dealing with morphological description of the parasite, which belongs to the largest flukes worldwide. Fascioloides magna utilizes aquatic snails as the intermediate hosts and a wide range of free-living and domestic ruminants as the final hosts. The life cycle of the parasite, divided into four developmental stages, is described in the third subchapter. The fourth part is focused on characterization of clinical signs of fascioloidosis, which are specific for particular type of the final host. Typical pathological changes of F. magna infection, described in the fifth subchapter, are fibrous pseudocysts of sedentary adult flukes leading to enlargement of the liver. The last subchapter summarizes the broad spectrum of anthelmintic drugs (e.g. benzimidazoles, salicylanilides, sulphonamides etc.) used for fascioloidosis treatment in different ruminants. Out of them, triclabendazole and rafoxanide proved high efficacy against adult and immature flukes; however, no specific therapeutics are available till now.