Question

Liver fluke of cattle is
A) Fasciola hepatica
B) Fasciola gigantica
C) Schistosoma indicum
D) Schistosoma mansoni

Answer 1

Hint:Liver fluke is a collective name of a polyphyletic group of parasitic trematodes under the phylum Platyhelminthes. They are mainly parasites of the liver of various mammals, including the humans.

Complete answer:
Infected cattle produce an intense reaction within the liver. In severe chronic infestations, dairy cows show reduced milk yields and poor fertility together with excessive weight loss. Fasciola hepatica also called common liver fluke is a parasite of the class Trematoda under the phylum Platyhelminthes which infects the livers of numerous mammals that are pathogenic. It is digenetic as sexual reproduction in liver fluke as an internal parasite of a vertebrate alternate with asexual reproduction in molluscs. Liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica) is a leaf-shaped parasite that lives in the liver and bile ducts of infected cattle. Sheep, rabbits, deer, and horses can also host the parasite. The life cycle of liver fluke involves a stage free-living that depends on the presence of an intermediate host which is a mud snail. The seasonal nature of liver fluke infection results from infective larvae being shed by snails onto pasture primarily during late summer and early autumn. Cattle grazing over the autumn is at risk of ingesting larvae over a prolonged period and developing a chronic disease which becomes evident in late winter and early spring. With the effects of infection on growth rate and milk yield estimated to cost the UK cattle industry up to £40.4 million annually, effective and sustainable parasite control within herds is essential.

Hence the correct option is ‘A’.

Notes: A multi-disciplined approach involving strategic flukicide product choice to reduce pasture contamination and drug resistance, alongside pasture management to restrict cattle access to snail habitats and quarantine of new stock with unknown infection status is recommended.