biology

Opisthorchis felineus

Opisthorchis felineus is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Opisthorchis felineus rather than just read about it. In short: Opisthorchis felineus, the Siberian liver fluke or cat liver fluke, is a trematode parasite that infects the liver in mammals. It was first discovered in 1884 in a cat's liver by Sebastiano Rivolta of Italy.

Key takeaways

Opisthorchis felineus belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Opisthorchis felineus to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Opisthorchis felineus from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Opisthorchis felineus, the Siberian liver fluke or cat liver fluke, is a trematode parasite that infects the liver in mammals. It was first discovered in 1884 in a cat's liver by Sebastiano Rivolta of Italy. In 1891, Russian parasitologist, Konstantin Nikolaevich Vinogradov (1847–1906) found it in a human, and named the parasite a "Siberian liver fluke". In the 1930s, helminthologist Hans Vogel of Hamburg published an article describing the life cycle of Opisthorchis felineus. Felineus infections may also involve the pancreatic ducts. Diagnosis of Opisthorchis infection is based on microscopic identification of parasite eggs in stool specimens. Safe and effective medication is available to treat Opisthorchis infections. Adequately freezing or cooking fish will kill the parasite.

Distribution Distribution of Opisthorchis felineus include: Spain, Italy, Albania, Greece, France, North Macedonia, Switzerland, Germany, Poland, Russia, Turkey, and Caucasus.

Life cycle

The first intermediate hosts of the parasite are freshwater snails:

Bithynia inflata (synonym: Codiella inflata) Bithynia troschelii Bithynia leachii Bithynia tentaculata The second intermediate hosts are freshwater fish: Leuciscus idus, Tinca tinca, Abramis brama, white-eye bream Ballerus sapa, Barbus barbus, common carp Cyprinus carpio, Blicca bjoerkna, Leuciscus idus, Alburnus alburnus, Aspius aspius, and common rudd Scardinius erythropthalmus. The definitive hosts are fish-eating mammals such as dogs, foxes, cats, rats, pigs, rabbits, seals, lions, wolverines, martens, polecats and humans.

Effect on human health It is estimated that 1.5 million people in Russia are infected with the parasite. Inhabitants of Siberia acquire the infection by consuming raw, slightly salted and frozen fish. Opisthorchiasis, the disease caused by Opisthorchis felineus, ranges in severity from asymptomatic infection to severe illness. Patient outcome is dependent on early detection and treatment. Human cases of opisthorchiasis may affect the liver, pancreas, and gall bladder. If not treated in the early stages, opisthorchiasis may cause cirrhosis of the liver and increased risk of liver cancer, but may be asymptomatic in children. Two weeks after flukes enter the body, the parasites infect the biliary tract. Symptoms of infection include fever, general feeling of tiredness, skin rash, and gastrointestinal disturbances. Severe anemia and liver damage may also incapacitate the infected person for 1–2 months. Treatment of opisthorchiasis is generally with a single dose of praziquantel.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Opisthorchis felineus

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Opisthorchis felineus claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Opisthorchis felineus before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Opisthorchis felineus ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Opisthorchis felineus

In research: Opisthorchis felineus appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Opisthorchis felineus in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Opisthorchis felineus is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Animals described in 1895, Parasites of cats, Plagiorchiida, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Opisthorchis felineus outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Opisthorchis felineus in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Opisthorchis felineus means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Opisthorchis felineus out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Opisthorchis felineus in simple terms?

Why does Opisthorchis felineus matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Opisthorchis felineus?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Opisthorchis felineus.