Distomiasis

Hepato-biliary distomiasis is a parasitosis caused notably by the flat worm (Trematode) Fasciola hepatica commonly called the liver fluke. The normal hosts are ruminants. Human infection is accidental and is brought about by ingestion of plants (watercress, dandelions, etc.) contaminated by encysted larvae. During the invasion phase and intra-hepatic migration of larvae, a biological diagnosis can only be made serologically. In the later phase, when the mature flukes are present in the bile duct and gall bladder, eggs can be detected during stool examination.