Amphistomiasis is a parasitic disease of livestock animals, more commonly of cattle and sheep, and humans caused by immature helminthic flatworms belonging to the order Echinostomida.
[1][2][3][4][5] In livestock industry the disease causes heavy economic backlashes due to poor production of milk, meat and wool.
[6][7] Symptoms include: Amphistomiasis in farm and wild mammals is due to infection of paramphistomes, such as the species of Paramphistomum, Calicophoron, Cotylophoron, Pseudophisthodiscus, etc.
Diagnosis basically relies on a combination of postmortem analyses, clinical signs displayed by the animals, and response to drenching.
In heavy infection, symptoms are easily observed in sheep and cattle as they become severely anorexic or inefficiently digest food, and become unthrifty.
Copious fetid diarrhea is an obvious indication, as the soiling of hind legs and tails with fluid feces are readily noticeable.
[1] In developing countries diagnosis and prognosis is often hindered by multiple infections with other trematodes, such as Fasciola hepatica and schistosomes, because these flukes are given primary importance due to their pervasive nature.
Prophylaxis is therefore based on disruption of the environment (such as proper drainage) where the carrier snails inhabit, or more drastic action of using molluscicides to eradicate the entire population.
Successfully treated sheep regain appetite within a week, diarrhoea stops in about three days, and physiological indicators (such as plasma protein and albumin levels) return to normal in a month.