Schistosoma
cwilcox | June 7, 2009Yeah, those caterpillar mimicking trematodes were impressive. But we humans have our own trematodes which are pretty nasty, too. One group of trematodes which uses humans as a final host is the genus Schistosoma, like Schistosoma masonii on the right.
Like other trematodes, Schistosoma spp. have very complex live cycles involving multiple hosts. Here's a quick overview image:So: the schistosome's life cycle. They start out as little eggs which leave the adult's host (humans) through the waste systems in urine or feces. These eggs then hatch into the first larval stage, which is called a…