Medicine Reference Libraries

Onchocerca volvulus is a species of roundworm that is classified within the Nematoda phylum. This species causes the disease onchocerciasis, more commonly known as river blindness. The life cycle of this species is dependent upon an intermediate host, typically the black fly, and a definitive host, which is always a human. Its lifecycle begins when a black fly ingests microfilariae from a human...

Schistosoma mansoni is a species of parasitic worm, classified within the Platyhelminthes phylum, which affects an estimated 83.31 million throughout the world. This species is the most populous of all members of its genus, occurring in fifty-four countries including areas like Africa, the Middle East, South America, and the Caribbean. This species causes intestinal schistosomiasis in humans....

The lancet liver fluke (Dicrocoelium dendriticum) is a parasitic worm that is classified within the Platyhelminthes phylum. It is thought to be native to over thirty countries including Switzerland, Spain, Germany, Iran, China, Vietnam, Japan, Ghana, and Nigeria, among many other areas. It is also found in South and North America and in Australia. It is typically found in cattle or other...

The Chinese liver fluke (Clonorchis sinensis) is a species of parasitic worm that is classified within the Platyhelminthes phylum. It can be found in Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Japan, and China and is present in nearly 30,000,000 humans today. It is thought to be one of the world’s most pervading parasites. The Chinese liver fluke requires two intermediate, or secondary, hosts and one...

The Southeast Asian liver fluke (Opisthorchis viverrini) is a parasite that is classified within the Platyhelminthes phylum. It is native to Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and the Lao People's Democratic Republic. It occurs in higher numbers in northern areas of Thailand when compared to central areas of Thailand, and the disease the worm causes, known as opisthorchiasis, does not occur in...

Echinococcus multilocularis is a species of tapeworm that is classified within the Platyhelminthes phylum. It is one of a few worms that cause echinococcosis, a disease that affects many canid species including wolves, coyotes, foxes, jackals, domesticated dogs. Humans can also contract this disease. Adult members of this species can reach an average length of .2 inches, and like other species...

Trichinella spiralis, sometimes known as the pork worm, is a parasite within the Nematoda class. It can be found in pigs, rats, humans, and bears. This worm causes trichinosis in humans, most often from consuming undercooked pork. This species is the smallest within its class, reaching an average body length of .16 centimeters. Females are twice as large as males, displaying a sexual...

The giant roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides) is a parasitic worm within the Nematoda phylum. This species can be found throughout the world, but occurs in higher numbers in tropical and subtropical areas. It causes the disease known as ascariasis in its human hosts and infects about one quarter of the entire world’s human population. It displays a sexual dimorphism, with females growing larger...

The eye-worm (Loa loa) is a species of roundworm within the Nematoda phylum. It can be found in India and Africa, among other areas. This species causes a disease known as Loa loa filariasis and is one of three species that can cause subcutaneous filariasis in humans. Females are larger than males, reaching an average body length of up to 2.7 inches, with males reaching an average body length...

The common liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica), also known as the sheep liver fluke, is a parasitic flatworm in the Trematoda class. This species can infect sheep, cattle, humans, and other animals across the world. This species is one of the largest of its kind, reaching an average body length of 1.1 inches, with a width of up to .5 inches. This species is shaped like a worm and is typically wider...