Fasciolosis, 2nd Edition

Book excerpt: Fasciolosis is a major global infection of livestock causing both huge losses to the agricultural community and affecting human health as a food-borne disease. Fully updated throughout, this new edition continues to cover the life cycle, biology, and development of the parasite; clinical pathology, immunology, diagnosis and vaccine development; and emergence, cause and mechanisms of drug resistance. It reviews the temperate liver fluke Fasciola hepatica, together with molecular, biochemical, control, and epidemiologial aspects of the tropical liver fluke F. gigantica. Many fundamental advances have taken place in the last two decades, but of particular importance has been the mapping of the draft genome of Fasciola. In addition, comprehensive advances in transcriptomics, proteomics and glycomics have been made, and the book therefore pays particular attention to these developments with the addition of brand-new chapters. Also covering the impact these parasites have had on the global human population, their distribution and their ecology, this book provides a comprehensive and accessible resource for scientists, researchers and students of medical and veterinary parasitology.