Alaria americana
| Alaria americana | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Platyhelminthes |
| Class: | Trematoda |
| Order: | Strigeidida |
| Family: | Diplostomatidae |
| Genus: | Alaria |
| Species: | A. americana |
| Binomial name | |
| Alaria americana | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
|
Alaria canis | |
Alaria americana is a species of a trematode in a family Diplostomatidae.
Life cycle
Alaria americana is a three- host trematode that lives as adults in the intestine of the dog definitive host.[1] Eggs are passed in faeces and hatch in water, releasing miracidia which penetrate the helisomid freshwater snails (first intermediate host) and develop through the sporocyst stage into cercariae.[1] Cercariae released from snails actively penetrate the second intermediate host (tadpoles) becoming infective mesocercariae in about two weeks.[1] In the tadpole or in the frogs (following the metamorphosis), mesocercariae accumulate and may be ingested by a number of paratenic hosts (e.g., other frogs, snakes) or directly by the definitive host.[1]
Human infections
Cases of human intraocular infection with mesocercariae of Alaria americana and other Alaria mesocercariae have been recorded in patients who had ingested undercooked contaminated frog legs.[1] Both patients presented with pigmentary tracks in the retina, areas of active or healed retinitis and signs of diffuse unilateral subacute neuroretinitis.[1]
References
This article incorporates CC-BY-2.0 text from the reference[1]
External links
- Alaria americana at Animal Diversity Web
- Fernandes, B. J.; Cooper, J. D.; Cullen, J. B.; Freeman, R. S.; Ritchie, A. C.; Scott, A. A.; Stuart, P. F. (1976). "Systemic infection with Alaria americana (Trematoda)". Canadian Medical Association journal 115 (11): 1111–1114. PMC 1878919. PMID 1000445.
- Freeman, R. S.; Stuart, P. F.; Cullen, S. J.; Ritchie, A. C.; Mildon, A.; Fernandes, B. J.; Bonin, R. (1976). "Fatal human infection with mesocercariae of the trematode Alaria americana". The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene 25 (6): 803–807. PMID 1008125.