Fasciolosis

Fasciolosis is an important helminth disease caused by two trematodes Fasciola hepatica (the common liver fluke) and Fasciola gigantica. This disease belongs to the plant-borne trematode zoonoses. In Europe, the Americas and Oceania only F. hepatica is a concern, but the distributions of both species overlap in many areas of Africa and Asia.The definitive host range is very broad and includes many herbivorous mammals, including humans. The life cycle includes freshwater snails as an intermediate host of the parasite. Recently, worldwide losses in animal productivity due to fasciolosis were conservatively estimated at over US$3.2 billion per annum. In addition, fasciolosis is now recognized as an emerging human disease: the World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that 2.4 million people are infected with Fasciola, and a further 180 million are at risk of infection.[
For high efficacy and safety, triclabendazole (Egaten) in dose 10–12 mg/kg is drug of choice in human fasciolosis. No drug alternatives are available for humans. On the other hand, nitazoxanide were successfully used in human fasciolosis treatment in Mexico. Bithionol is another drug of choice used for treatment of F. hepatica.