Armillifer grandis

Armillifer grandis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Crustacea
Class: Maxillopoda
Subclass: Pentastomida
Family: Porocephalidae
Genus: Armillifer
Species: A. grandis
Binomial name
Armillifer grandis
(Hett, 1915)

Armillifer grandis is a species of the Pentastomid genus Armillifer distributed in tropical Central and West Africa.[1] Its typical definitive hosts are Viperid snakes (such as Bitis gabonica, Bitis nasicornis, and Cerastes cerastes) while rodents are presumed to act as intermediate hosts. Humans may become accidentally infected by the eggs particularly if consuming (or otherwise contacting) infected snakes. Ingested eggs develop into nymphs that invade different visceral organs causing a disease that is often called porocephalosis. It may be asymptotic, debilitating, or even lethal.[2] Ocular infections may cause blindness.[3]

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