''Centrocestus armatus'' is a species of
trematode
Trematoda is a Class (biology), class of flatworms known as trematodes, and commonly as flukes. They are obligate parasite, obligate Endoparasites, internal parasites with a complex biological life cycle, life cycle requiring at least two Host ( ...
s, or fluke worms, in the family
Heterophyidae
Heterophyidae is a family of intestinal trematodes in the order Plagiorchiida.
Description: " Tegument covered by spines. Oral sucker not armed or armed by circumoral spines. Pharynx presented. Genital synus presented. Ventral and genital s ...
.
Distribution
This species occurs in
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
,
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
, Korea, Southeast Asia.
Life cycle
The first intermediate hosts of ''Centrocestus armatus'' include freshwater snails ''
Semisulcospira libertina''.
[Paller V. G., Kimura D. & Uga S. (2007). "Infection dynamics of ''Centrocestus armatus'' cercariae (Digenea: Heterophyidae) to second intermediate fish hosts". '']Journal of Parasitology
The ''Journal of Parasitology'' is a peer-reviewed medical journal covering research on parasites published bimonthly by Allen Press on behalf of the American Society of Parasitologists. Content includes research articles, brief research notes, an ...
'' 93(2): 436–439. .
The second intermediate hosts include fish ''
Nipponocypris temminkii'' and ''
Zacco platypus''.
[Komatsu S., Kimura D., Paller V. G. V. & Uga S. (2014). "Dynamics of ''Centrocestus armatus'' Transmission in Endemic River in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan". ''Tropical Medicine and Health'' 42(1): 35-42. .]
The final hosts include
Black-crowned night heron
The black-crowned night heron (''Nycticorax nycticorax'') r black-capped night heron commonly shortened to just night heron in Eurasia, is a medium-sized heron found throughout a large part of the world, including parts of Europe, Asia, and Nort ...
''Nycticorax nycticorax''.
It may infect humans.
References
Further reading
* Kimura D. & Uga S. (2005). "Epidemiological study on ''Centrocestus armatus'' metacercariae in Chikusa River, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan". ''
Tropical Medicine and Health'' 33:7–11.
* Paller V. G. V. & Uga S. (2008). "Attachment and Penetration of ''Centrocestus armatus'' (Digenea: Heterophyidae) Cercariae to Gills of Secondary Intermediate Fish Hosts". ''
Journal of Parasitology
The ''Journal of Parasitology'' is a peer-reviewed medical journal covering research on parasites published bimonthly by Allen Press on behalf of the American Society of Parasitologists. Content includes research articles, brief research notes, an ...
'' 94(3): 578–583. .
Heterophyidae
{{parasitic animal-stub