Schistosome parasite. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the cercarial stage of a schistosome fluke (Schistosoma sp.), the cause of the di

---

Schistosome parasite. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the cercarial stage of a schistosome fluke (Schistosoma sp.), the cause of the disease schistosomiasis (bilharzia). This cercarial stage lives in lakes and rivers, and penetrates the skin of humans in the water. It matures to the adult form, then migrates to the veins surrounding the bladder or intestines. Here the females lay eggs which pass out of the body in the urine or faeces, contaminating the local water supply. Larvae hatching from the eggs infect water snails, in which they develop into this stage. Untreated schistosomiasis causes kidney and liver damage. Magnification: x150 at 6x7cm size. x250 at 4x5ins

---

Size: 3072px × 2259px
Photo credit: © DAVID SCHARF/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: animal, bilharzia, cercaria, cercarial, coloured, flatworm, fluke, free-swimming, invertebrate, invertebrates, nature, parasite, parasitic, pathogen, pathogenic, platyhelminthes, schistosoma, schistosomiasis, sem, sp., wildlife, zoology