Paragonimus
Encyclopedia
Paragonimus is an important genus
of flatworm
s, or platyhelminths, that includes Paragonimus westermani
, an infectious lung fluke endemic to Asia
.
The first intermediate host
s of Paragonnimus includes at least 54 species of freshwater snail
s from superfamilies Cerithioidea
and Rissooidea
.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of flatworm
Flatworm
The flatworms, known in scientific literature as Platyhelminthes or Plathelminthes are a phylum of relatively simple bilaterian, unsegmented, soft-bodied invertebrate animals...
s, or platyhelminths, that includes Paragonimus westermani
Paragonimus westermani
Paragonimus westermani is a lung fluke and is most prominent in Asia and South America. It was discovered from two Bengal tigers that died in zoos in Europe in 1878...
, an infectious lung fluke endemic to Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
.
The first intermediate host
Intermediate host
A secondary host or intermediate host is a host that harbors the parasite only for a short transition period, during which some developmental stage is completed. For trypanosomes, the cause of sleeping sickness, humans are the primary host, while the tsetse fly is the secondary host...
s of Paragonnimus includes at least 54 species of freshwater snail
Freshwater snail
A freshwater snail is one kind of freshwater mollusc, the other kind being freshwater clams and mussels, i.e. freshwater bivalves. Specifically a freshwater snail is a gastropod that lives in a watery non-marine habitat. The majority of freshwater gastropods have a shell, with very few exceptions....
s from superfamilies Cerithioidea
Cerithioidea
The Cerithioidea is a superfamily of marine, brackish water and freshwater gastropod containing more than 200 genera. The Cerithoidea are included in the clade Sorbeoconcha. The original name of this superfamily was Cerithiacea, in keeping with common superfamily endings at the time.- Ecology...
and Rissooidea
Rissooidea
Rissooidea, originally named Rissoacea by Grey, 1847, is a large taxonomic superfamily of small and minute saltwater, brackish water, freshwater, and semi-terrestrial snails which have gills and an operculum...
.
Species
Species within the genus Paragonimus include:- Paragonimus africanus
- Paragonimus caliensis
- Paragonimus compactus
- Paragonimus ecuadoriensis
- Paragonimus heterotremus
- Paragonimus hueitugensis
- Paragonimus iloktsuenensis
- Paragonimus kellicotti
- Paragonimus mexicanus
- Paragonimus miyazakii
- Paragonimus ohirai
- Paragonimus pulmonalis
- Paragonimus peruvianus
- Paragonimus sadoensis
- Paragonimus skrjabini
- Paragonimus uterobilateralis
- Paragonimus westermaniParagonimus westermaniParagonimus westermani is a lung fluke and is most prominent in Asia and South America. It was discovered from two Bengal tigers that died in zoos in Europe in 1878...