Schistosome flukes. Macrophotograph of a pair of schistosome flukes (Schistosoma haematobium), the cause of schistosomiasis in humans. The male is see

---

Schistosome flukes. Macrophotograph of a pair of schistosome flukes (Schistosoma haematobium), the cause of schistosomiasis in humans. The male is seen wrapped around the female. As adults, these worms live in the veins around the bladder. During mating, the flatter male holds the long, cylindrical female in a groove known as the gynaecophoric canal, which he forms by folding the sides of his body around her, as seen here. The presence of the flukes in the blood vessels causes fever, and pain on urination. The many eggs produced by the female can also form fibrous obstructions of tissues and vessels known as granulomas. Magnification unknown.

---

Size: 4365px × 3258px
Photo credit: © SINCLAIR STAMMERS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: adult, adults, animal, bilharzia, couple, disease, disease-causing, female, flatworm, flatworms, fluke, flukes, haematobium, invertebrate, invertebrates, macrophotograph, male, nature, pair, paired, pathogen, pathogenic, pathogens, pathology, platyhelminthes, schistosoma, schistosome, schistosomes, schistosomiasis, trematoda, trematodes, tremdatode, wildlife, worm, worms, zoology