liver rot

Liver rot, also known as fascioliasis, is an infection caused by the parasitic flatworm Fasciola hepatica. This fluke primarily infects the bile ducts and liver of animals like cattle and sheep, leading to a condition called liver rot. Humans can contract the infection by consuming uncooked vegetables, such as watercress, that have been contaminated with the parasite's cysts.1

The Fasciola hepatica life cycle involves a snail as an intermediate host. After hatching from eggs excreted in feces, the larvae must find a snail to develop further. Free-swimming larvae then emerge from the snail and attach to plants. When these plants are eaten, the parasite matures in the host's liver and bile ducts, causing inflammation and obstruction. Symptoms in humans can include fever, abdominal pain, anemia, and an increase in eosinophils, a type of white blood cell. Effective treatments are available, with triclabendazole being a common choice.1