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cercariae |
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Cercariae The free-living form of the schistosome worm that has a tail, swims, and has suckers on its head for penetration into a host. Mentioned in: Schistosomiasis cercaria [sərker′ē·ə] pl. cercariae Etymology: Gk, kerkos, tail a minute, wormlike early developmental form of trematode. It develops in a freshwater snail, is released into the water, and swims toward the sun, rising to the surface of the water in the warmest part of the day. Cercariae enter the body of the next host by ingestion, by direct invasion through the skin, or through a cut or other break in the skin. Some cercariae of the genera Schistosoma, Chlonorchis, Paragonimus, Fasciolopsis, and Fasciola are known to infect humans. They encyst and complete their development in various organs of the body. Each species tends to migrate to one organ, such as Fasciola hepatica, which grows to become a liver fluke. See also fluke, schistosomiasis. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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| Inside the snail, within several weeks, the miracidium transforms into cercariae. Even the cercariae of schistosomes parasitic to birds and animals will often try to penetrate human skin, causing the conditior. The cercariae penetrate under the scales of a susceptible fish, which serves as the second intermediate host; they encyst as metacercaria, mainly in the fish body muscles. |
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