Common Name: Blood Fluke

Scientific Name: Schistosoma mansoni

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Kingdom: Anamalia

Phylum: Platyhelminthes

Class: Trematoda

Order: Strigeatida

Family: Schistosomatididae

Genus: Schistosoma

Species: S. mansoni

Schistosoma Mansoni, or Blood Fluke, is a parasitic worm that lives is in tropical and equatorial environments. They are found in Africa, Madagascar, and parts of South America, Puerto Rico, and the West Indies. The Blood Fluke has two different hosts. The first is most freshwater snails. They do well here, because there lots of people and mollusks to be hosts and rivers to carry the offspring.

 

After reproduction, the offspring are removed and are then found in the second host. Humans, mice, and hamsters. It then asexually reproduces and feeds on nutrients in the blood. This disease is called Schistosomiasis. An interesting fact is that the Schistosoma Mansoni has separate sexes.

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Author: Kalvin C

Published: 03/2008

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Sources:

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/ Schistosoma_mansoni.html http://www.dpd.cdc.gov/dpdx/HTML/Schistosomiasis.htm http://www.medicalecology.org/water/schistosomiasis/schistosomiasis.htm

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Photo Credit: http://www.weichtiere.at/images/andere_tiere/copulating_schistosomes.gif