April 6, 2020 [LABORATORY ASSIGNMENT : TREMATODES]

NAME (GROUP 4) :

 Laderas, Mark Louie  Salamat, Margaux

 Lobo, Jan Millaine  Salazar, Kim Alexandra
 Pimentel, Kenneth  San Juan, Pearl Joyce
 Nero, Aubrey  Trinidad, Maria Eunice
 Paraiso, Rocs Anne  Valencia, Ivy
 Robles, Maria Carmela

Trematodes are parasite flukes, and as adults, they are almost found as endoparasites of
vertebrates. Most flukes are flat and range from oval to elongated in shape. They measure from
less than 1mm to 5cm in length. They feed on host cells and cell fragments. Their digestive tract
includes a mouth and muscular pharynx. Some flukes supplement their feeding by absorbing
nutrients into their body wall. Some trematodes are monoecious, which means that both ovary
and testes are present in one organism such as Clonorchis sinensis, Fasciola hepatica, and
Paragonimus westermani.

I. Objectives
At the end of the exercise, the students should be able to :
1. Identify trematode parasites in humans ;
2. Illustrate the life cycle of selected trematodes ;
3. Determine the detailed parts of the selected parasites; and
4. Explain the means of infection and prevalence in humans of the parasites.

II. Materials
Compound microscope
Prepared slides:
Clonorchis sinensis
Fasciola hepatica
Paragonimus westermani
III. Procedures
1. Obtain the following prepared slides from the instrument room :
a. Clonorchis sinensis c. Paragonimus westermani
b. Fasciola hepatica

2. View the slides using an HPO

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3. Study the following:

a. Clonorchis sinensis – liver fluke in humans

i. identify the oral sucker, intestine, ventral suckers, uterus, vitellaria, ovary, seminal receptacle,
anterior testes, bladder excretory pore, pharyngeal muscle, excretory tube, gonopore, seminal
vesicle, vas deferens, vitelline duct, Laurer’s canal, sperm duct and posterior testes.
ii. Study the life cycle of the Clonorchis sinensis. Explain the mode of transmission
iii. Explain the effect of the aforesaid organism in humans

b. Fasciola hepatica – sheep liver fluke

i. identify the suckers (anterior and posterior), penis, deferens, testes, mouth, intestines,
uterus, ovary, ootype, Mehlis gland, yolk duct, and yolk glands.
ii. Study the life cycle of the Fasciola hepatica. Explain its mode of transmission
iii. Explain the species’ chances of failing to complete the life cycle.

c. Paragonimus westermani – lung flukes

i. Identify the oral sucker, intestine, ventral sucker, uterus, testes, excretory bladder, vitellaria,
ovary and vitelline duct.
ii. Study the life cycle of the P. westermani. Explain its mode of transmission
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IV. ILLUSTRATION

Draw and label the following :

Clonorchis sinensis

Life Cycle:

Clonorchis sinensis cycles starting

from embryonated eggs passed in feces in
which snails will ingest. Within that snail the
said eggs release Miracidia and will develop
from Sporocysts->Rediae ->Cercarieae.
Cercariae will swim through the water to
seek for its prey, a freshwater fish for
example. It will enter fish and will be
transferred to humans through ingestion.
Once it enters the human body, it will form
cysts in the duodenum and will spend its life
to become an adult in the biliary duct that
will take approximately one month. The
adult flukes then reside in biliary ducts.

Mode of Transmission:

The mode of transmission to the

definitive host is through consumption of
raw, undercooked or improperly pickled or
poorly smoked infected fish such as
freshwater fish or crayfish.
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Life Cycle of Clonorchis sinensis

Fasciola hepatica

Life Cycle:

The life cycle of Fasciola hepatica

starts when the immature eggs are
discharged in the biliary ducts and passed in
the stool. These eggs will be embryonated
once they are in the freshwater for 2
weeks. After that, the embryonated eggs
will release a miracidia and will look for a
snail to be the intermediate host. In the
snail, the parasites undergo several
developmental stages: sporocysts, rediae,
and cercariae. After developing, the
cercariae will be released outside from the
snail and will encyst itself into an aquatic
vegetation or other substrates as
metacercariae, if the humans or other
mammals ingested a metacercariae-
contaminated vegetation such as
watercress they will be infected. After
ingesting the contaminated vegatation, the
metacercariae will excyst to the duodenum
of the infected host and will penetrate
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Life Cycle of Fasciola hepatica

Paragonimus westermani

Life Cycle:

The life cycle of Paragonimus

westermani starts when the eggs are
excreted unembryonated in the sputum or
alternately they are swallowed and passed
with stool. in the external environment, the
eggs become embryonated and will release
miracidia then seeks its first intermediate
host which is snail. Afterwards, it will
penetrate the snail's soft tissue then the
miracidia go through several developmental
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Life Cycle of Paragonimus westermani

V. Results and Discussion

1. Discuss the taxonomy and biodiversity of trematodes

The trematodes or flukes include 18,000 to 24,000 species, divided into two subclasses.
Nearly all trematodes are parasites of mollusks and vertebrates. The smaller Aspidogastrea,
comprising about 100 species, are obligate parasites of mollusks and may also infect turtles and
fish, including cartilaginous fish. The Digenea, the majority of trematodes, are obligate parasites
of both mollusks and vertebrates, but rarely occur in cartilaginous fish.
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Two other parasitic classes, the Monogenea and Cestoda, are sister classes in the
Neodermata, a group of Rhabditophoran Platyhelminthes.

2. Describe the adult Clonorchis sinensis

Clonorchis sinensis adults are flattened, lance shaped, and measure approximately 10 to
25 mm long by 3 to 5 mm wide. The oral and ventral suckers (acetabulum) are relatively small.
Like other flukes, they are hermaphroditic. The two testes are located posterior to the ovary,
and are highly branched–a feature which separates it from the related Opisthorchis spp.
(rounded testes). Adults reside in the biliary passages of the liver of the definitive host.

3. Describe the adult Fasciola hepatica

Adult Fasciola hepatica measure 20–30 mm x 13 mm. Adults are hermaphrodite;

each contains both male and female reproductive organs, capable of both cross- and self-
fertilization. F. hepatica reproduces both sexually, via the hermaphrodite adult flukes, and
asexually. The miracidia can reproduce asexually within the intermediate snail host. The larvae
stage known as sporocyst reproduces asexually with its offspring developing into rediae, which
also multiply asexually. Adults live in the bile ducts of their mammalian host. Their eggs enter
the host gut and are passed on with feces. They hatch to form free-living egg larvae or
miracidia, which can live only a few hours in water. If a suitable snail host is entered, the
miracidium develop into a sporocyst, which produce, either more rediae or another type of
larvae called cercaria. The cercaria exit the snail via the pulmonary cavity, free-swim until
attaching to grass or some other object, and develop into cyst-encased metacercaria. The
metacercaria remain secure in their cysts until eaten by a mammal. If eaten, a metacercarium
bores through to the mammal's liver and remains until it matures into an egg producing adult,
at which time it settles in the bile ducts. Technically, the adult worms (pathogenic stage) live in
the biliary passages of the liver. Immature eggs are carried by the bile into the intestines and
subsequently excreted with feces.

4. Describe the adult Paragonimus westermani

Adult Paragonimus westermani are typically reddish brown and ovoid, measuring 7 to
16 mm by 4 to 8 mm, similar in size and appearance to a coffee bean. They are hermaphroditic,
with a lobed ovary located anterior to two branching testes. Like all members of the
Trematoda, they possess oral and ventral suckers. The adult flukes live in the lungs and lay eggs
that are coughed up through the airways and either expectorated in the sputum or swallowed
and defecated. When they reach freshwater, the eggs develop into miracidia that penetrate
various species of aquatic snails, where they further develop and reproduce asexually, giving
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rise to cercariae (larvae). The adult worms enter the bronchioles and are then coughed up or
swallowed. Eggs in the sputum or feces reach fresh water, hatch and penetrate the first
intermediate host, where they differentiate into free-swimming cercariae. Paragonimus
westermani adults and eggs stimulate formation of connective tissue capsules in the host, both
in the lungs and at ectopic sites.

5. Explain the etymology of the worm trematode?

Trematodes are commonly referred as flukes. This term can be traced back to the Old
English name for "flounder", and refers to the flattened, rhomboidal shape of the worms.
Ultimately from Greek trēmatōdēs pierced with holes, from trēmat-, trēma hole, from
tetrainein to bore.

The flukes can be classified into two groups, on the basis of the system which they infect
in the vertebrate host.

 Tissue flukes infect the bile ducts, lungs, or other biological tissues. This group includes
the lung fluke, Paragonimus westermani, and the liver flukes, Clonorchis sinensis and
Fasciola hepatica.
 Blood flukes inhabit the blood in some stages of their life cycle. Blood flukes include
species of the genus Schistosoma.

They may also be classified according to the environment in which they are found. For
instance, pond flukes infect fish in ponds.

6. How is the trematode infection acquired?

Trematode infections are usually foodborne that caused by trematodes (flatworms or

“flukes”) that are acquired through ingestion of food or water contaminated with the larval
stages of the parasite.

7. Give practical measures to prevent trematode infection?

 Avoid eating raw, freshly pickled or imperfectly cooked fresh-water fish, crayfish
or crabs, etc.
 Control transmission through snail control, health education and provision of
sanitary facilities and water supply.
 Swimming in endemic areas should be avoided.
 Infection can be prevented by adequate washing and cooking of food such as fish,
aquatic plants, and freshwater crabs or crayfish prior to consumption.
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 In endemic areas, it is highly recommended to boil water before consumption or

use.
 Preventive measures include proper human waste disposal to avoid contamination
of bodies of fresh water, prompt treatment of infected persons to prevent the
parasite from spreading, improvement of hygiene, and avoidance of consumption
of raw aquatic plants and contaminated water.

VI. CONCLUSIONS