The parasites are spread when humans or animals eat infected raw or undercooked food, such as bivalve molluscs or fish.

[7] The Echinostoma species in this group are now classified according to their shared morphological and biological characteristics, such as the presence of 37 collar spines.

[8] Phylogeny of most known Echinostoma species based on the mitochondrial nad1 sequences:[5] E. mekongi Cho, Jung, Chang, Sohn, Sinuon & Chai, 2020 E. deserticum Kechemir, Jourdane & Mas-Coma, 2002 E. paraulum Dietz, 1909 E. cinetorchis Ando & Ozaki, 1923 E. robustum Yamaguti, 1935 E. miyagawai Ishii, 1932 E. novaezealandense Georgieva, Blasco-Costa & Kostadinova, 2017 E. revolutum (Froehlich, 1802) E. caproni Richard, 1964 (previously E. liei) E. trivolvis (Cort, 1914) Kanev, 1985 E. paraensei Lie & Basch, 1967 E. nasincovae Faltýnková, Georgieva, Soldánová & Kostadinova, 2015 E. bolschewense (Kotova, 1939) Našincová, 1991 Further confirmed species are E. lindoense Sandground & Bonne, 1940 and E. luisreyi Maldonado, Vieira & Lanfredi, 2003, these are not included in the phylogeny because of a lack of genetic material.

[5] Unconfirmed species are E. acuticauda, E. barbosai, E. chloephagae, E. echinatum, E. jurini, E. nudicaudatum, E. parvocirrus, E. pinnicaudatum, E. ralli, and E.

[5] Echinostoma are internal digenean trematode parasites which infect the intestines and bile duct[4] of their hosts.

[3] The miracidia stage of Echinostoma is free-swimming, and actively penetrates the first intermediate snail host, which then becomes infected.

[3] In the first intermediate host, the miracidium undergoes asexual reproduction[17] for several weeks, which includes sporocyst formation, a few generations of rediae and the production of cercariae.

[17] Sexual reproduction of adult Echinostoma in the definitive host leads to the production of unembryonated eggs.

[4] Echinostoma eggs can survive for about 5 months and still have the ability to hatch and develop into the next life cycle stage.

[18] Infection of humans with members of the family Echinostomatidae, including Echinostoma, can lead to a disease called echinostomiasis.

[21] The prevalence of echinostomiasis varies between countries[21] but there tend to be foci of infection in areas where raw or undercooked hosts of Echinostoma, such as snails or fish, are widely consumed.

[3] Side effects of anthelmintic drug treatment may include nausea, abdominal pain, headaches or dizziness.

[21] Interrupting the parasite's lifecycle by efficient diagnosis and subsequent treatment of infected individuals, and preventing reinfection, may help to control this disease.