Trematodes,Flatworms,and Flukes OH MY!

[Robin]

There are a number of flatworms which commonly infect humans.they are,opisthrch's the human Liver Fluke,the human Blood Fluke,Pargonimus,the human Lung Fluke,Schistosoma and Diphyllobothrium(the broadfish tapeworm)Tissue F lukes infect the bile,ducts,lungs,and other biological tissues.
In Schistosama the infective stage Cercarie do not require ingestion and can penetrate(even unbroken skin) where it undergoes one or more"generations" of assexual reproduction during which thousands to hundreds of thousands of infectious Cercarie are produced.
Some trematodes seek out the lungs ,or may wander to the heart,brain,or skin.they disrupt digestion and nutrient absorption.symptoms include chronic diarrhea and abdominal pain.other sympptoms from long-standing infections include ulcers,hemorrage and abscesses.intestinal wall and liver damage.sometimes even toxemia results when the host's body absorbs the worms metabolites.
Those worms with the most amazing powers of regeneration are certain speices of Lineus which regularly undergo transverse fission.(body splits in several pieces).this process is sometimes referred to as simply Fragmentation .if the pieces are extremely small a protective mucous cyst is formed within which the new worm regenerates.Larger pieces regenerate to form a complete worm without the protection of a cyst.they typically spawn either freely into the water column or in gelatinous masses of mucous produced by the mating worm.
PRETTY INTERESTING
Robin

References:
Reefs.org: Where Reefkeeping Begins on the Internet - Aquarium.Net Jan 97
i am having problems posting other sites and pics my kids will help later.

[carla]

Sounds like theres a few of them in the mix ,Robin . I don't Know if it would explain everything though.
But we should look into it more .Theres a vid on u-tube that shows something regenerating itself .I will look for it . CARLA
XX

[Jo]

Thanks Robin,

It completely amazes me how flatworms commonly infect humans - but we never hear about it and I've never heard of anyone being tested for a flatworm infection. (quick rant about the UTTER LACK of attention by the medical community).

I've read that cercariae infect black fly larvae and the like. The concept that my parasites have parasites is pretty much a done deal (as in bacteria and fungi), but also that they have organisms like trematodes and nematodes too???

Factors affecting the acquisition of Plagiorchis noblei (Trematoda : Plagiorchiidae) cercariae by black fly (Diptera : Simuliidae) larvae and the effect of metacercariae on host survival

I'm running out of space on my table to layout all these jigsaw pieces.

According to Rocks, the girls on Lymebusters have been looking at cercariae - might be worth a gander

Here's an example of one from the Internet:


Jo xxx

[Robin]

hey guys,
i do believe they have the capability to cause everything they have.they were the first parasites to invade our bodies.they have managed to stay invisible.going out on a limb here i think they use our natuarl hair melanin to blend as well as they have.it would explain how they could build and layer undetectable over all these years.with the massive worm infection on our scalps which is connected to every access point possible,then come the fly gnats whichever one we have.they will not lay their larva (flygnats) unless they are able to feed for adequate amounts of time.along with the gnats they carry the galls into our scalp and wala you have a massive infection from the tip of our heads to the bottom of our toes! this is so incredible unless you unravel it layer by disgusting layer it is almost impossible that someone who is not experiencing our strange and unique sympyoms for themselves.i just don't see them understanding it.
xo
Robin