Blood Fluke (Male) - Schistosoma mansoni

Schistosoma mansoni is a water-borne parasite in humans. It is the most prevalent parasite in humans and causes intestinal schistosomiasis, which infects over 250 million people worldwide. It is considered to be a Neglected Tropical Disease. Treatment is inexpensive and only costs about US$0.20 per child per year! And yet, treatment is still hard to obtain in poor, developing countries.

The disease is spread by contact with fresh water contaminated with the parasites, which are released from infected snails. Symptoms include abdominal pain and diarrhea . Long-term, it can cause liver damage, kidney failure, infertility, or bladder cancer. Children are particularly vulnerable because they play in water, which is often contaminated with infected snails.

*Whole mount slide; this photo was taken at low magnification, just so that I could get a shot of the entire worm.