File:Fasciola_hepatica.JPG · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Fasciola hepatica
Sign in to saveAlso known as common liver fluke, sheep liver fluke
parasitic flatworm in mammal livers
OverviewAI-generated
*Fasciola hepatica*, commonly known as the sheep liver fluke or leverbot, is a species of flatworm within the phylum Platyhelminthes and class Trematoda. It belongs to the family Fasciolidae and order Plagiorchiida. The species was described by Linnaeus in 1758 and is currently accepted as a valid taxon. It inhabits freshwater environments and causes the disease fasciolosis.
Records of this organism have been documented in Canada and the United States, with collections held by institutions such as CMN and USNM. The species is distinct from *Dicrocoelium dendriticum*.
Synthesized by Vinony from 35 facts across 8 sources: Wikidata, GBIF, PubMed, Gbif Occ, Encyclopedia of Life, WoRMS, iDigBio, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.
Species
sheep liver fluke
SPECIES
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumPlatyhelminthes
- ClassTrematoda
- OrderPlagiorchiida
- FamilyFasciolidae
Chile Central
via GBIF
Museum specimens
- Specimen records
- 443
- With media
- 154
- Family
- Fasciolidae
- Collections
- CMN, USNM
- Recorded in
- Canada, United States
Research
5,347 papers- Advances in Fasciola hepatica research using 'omics' technologies.International journal for parasitology · 2018
- Fasciola hepatica virulence-associated cysteine peptidases: a systems biology perspective.Microbes and infection · 2012
- Fasciola hepatica L. and fascioliasis: physiological, biochemical, pathogenic, immunologic, and diagnostic aspects.Folia veterinaria Latina · 1974
- Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola hybrid form co-existence in yak from Tibet of China: application of rDNA internal transcribed spacer.Parasitology research · 2024
- Fasciola hepatica infection in Korean water deer (Hydropotes inermis argyropus).Parasites, hosts and diseases · 2025
via PubMed
~20 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Fasciola hepatica, also known as the common liver fluke or sheep liver fluke, is a parasitic trematode (fluke or flatworm, a type of helminth) of the class Trematoda, phylum Platyhelminthes. It infects the livers of various mammals, including humans, and is transmitted by sheep and cattle to humans all over the world. The disease caused by the fluke is called fasciolosis or fascioliasis, which is a type of helminthiasis and has been classified as a neglected tropical disease. Fasciolosis is currently classified as a plant/food-borne trematode infection, often acquired through eating the parasite's metacercariae encysted on plants. F. hepatica, which is distributed worldwide, has been known as an important parasite of sheep and cattle for decades and causes significant economic losses in these livestock species, up to £23 million in the UK alone. Because of its relatively large size and economic importance, it has been the subject of many scientific investigations and may be the best-known of any trematode species. The closest relative of Fasciola hepatica is F. gigantica. These two flukes are sister species; they share many morphological features and can mate with each other.
Life cycle
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Fasciola hepatica” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.