Name
Greek: platys = flat; nosos = disease; soma = body.
General Information
These digenetic nematodes are mainly parasites in the biliary tract of birds and mammals with worldwide distribution especially in tropical regions. Especially P. illicien (syn. P. fastosum) of cats is an important parasite which leads to hepatomegaly, ascites, vomiting, jaundice, may also cause cholangiocarcinomas, and even may lead to death. The life cycle is not fully known, although the terrestrial mollusc Subulina octona is known since long as first intermediate hosts in Central America and the Caribbean islands. Lizards are suggested to act as second intermediate hosts harbouring metacercariae in their bile ducts. However, lizards are apparently not obligatory intermediate host, but also rodents may contain the metacercariae.
Treatment
Praziquantel will lead to complete clearance if the disease would have been detected.
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Further Reading
Basu AK, Charles RA (2014) A review of the cat liver fluke Platynosomum fastosum. Vet Parasitol 200:1–7
Pinto HA et al (2014) New insights into the life cycle of Platynosomum (Trematoda, Dicrocoeliidae). Parasitol Res 114:1531–1538
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© 2015 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Mehlhorn, H. (2015). Platynosomum Species. In: Mehlhorn, H. (eds) Encyclopedia of Parasitology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27769-6_4201-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27769-6_4201-1
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Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27769-6
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