Editing Digenea (section)

==Human digenean infections==
Only about 12 of the 6,000 known species are [[infection|infectious]] to humans, but some of these species are important [[disease]]s afflicting over 200 million people. The species that infect humans can be divided into groups, the schistosomes and the non-schistosomes.

===Schistosomes===
The Schistosomes occur in the [[circulatory system]] of the definitive host. Humans become infected after free-swimming cercaria liberated from infected snails penetrate the skin. These dioecious worms are long and thin, ranging in size from 10 to 30&nbsp;mm in length to 0.2 to 1.0&nbsp;mm in diameter. Adult males are shorter and thicker than females, and have a long groove along one side of the body in which the female is clasped. Females reach sexual maturity after they have been united with a male. After mating the two remain locked together for the rest of their lives. They can live for several years and produce many thousands of eggs.

The four species of schistosomes that infect humans are members of the [[genus]] ''[[Schistosoma]]''.

{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" align="center"
|+'''Human Schistosomes'''
|-
! style="background:#ffceff;" | Scientific Name
! style="background:#ffceff;" | First Intermediate Host
! style="background:#ffceff;" | Endemic Area
|-
|''[[Schistosoma mansoni]]''
|''[[Biomphalaria]]'' spp.
|[[Africa]], [[South America]], [[Caribbean]], [[Middle East]]
|-
|''[[Schistosoma haematobium]]''
|''[[Bulinus]]'' spp.
|[[Africa]], [[Middle East]]
|-
|''[[Schistosoma japonicum]]''
|''[[Oncomelania]]'' spp.
|[[China]], [[East Asia]], [[Philippines]]
|-
|''[[Schistosoma intercalatum]]''
|''[[Bulinus]]'' spp.
|[[Africa]]
|}

===Non-schistosomes===

The seven major species of non-schistosomes that infect humans are listed below. People become infected after ingesting metacercarial cysts on plants or in undercooked animal flesh. Most species inhabit the human gastrointestinal tract, where they shed eggs along with host feces. ''Paragonimus westermani'', which colonizes the lungs, can also pass its eggs in [[saliva]]. These flukes generally cause mild pathology in humans, but more serious effects may also occur.

{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" align="center"
|+'''Human non-Schistosomes'''
|-
! style="background:#ffceff;" | Scientific Name
! style="background:#ffceff;" | First Intermediate Host
! style="background:#ffceff;" | Mode of Human Infection
! style="background:#ffceff;" | Endemic Area
|-
| ''[[Fasciolopsis buski]]''
| ''[[Segmentina]]'' sp.
| Plants
| [[Asia]], [[India]]
|-
| ''[[Heterophyes heterophyes]]''
| ''[[Pirinella]]''{{Citation needed|date=November 2009}}
| [[mullet (fish)|Mullet]], [[Tilapia]]
| [[Asia]], [[Eastern Europe]], [[Egypt]], [[Middle East]]
|-
|''[[Metagonimus yokogawaii]]''
|''[[Semisulcospira]]'' sp.{{Citation needed|date=November 2009}}
|[[Carp]], [[Trout]]
|[[Siberia]]
|-
|''[[Gastrodiscoides hominis]]''
|''[[Helicorbis]]'' sp.{{Citation needed|date=November 2009}}
|Plants
|[[India]], [[Vietnam]], [[Philippines]]
|-
|''[[Clonorchis sinensis]]''
|''[[Bulinus]]'' sp.
|Fish
|[[East Asia]], [[North America]]
|-
|''[[Fasciola hepatica]]''
|''[[Galba truncatula]]''
|Plants
|[[World]]wide
|-
|''[[Paragonimus westermani]]'' 	
|''[[Oncomelania]]'' sp.
|[[Crab]]s, [[crayfish]]	
|[[Asia]]
|}