Basic Information Scientific name: Clonorchis sinensis
Length: 0.2- 4 inches
Length: 0.2- 4 inches
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Clonorchis sinensis, also called the Chinese Liver Fluke, is a parasitic human liver fluke which is the third most prevalent worm parasite in the world. They are found most commonly in the bile duct and gall bladder, feeding on bile. The eggs of the Chinese Liver Fluke float in fresh water until it picks up its first intermediate host, a snail. The second intermediate host is a fish, and when eaten by a human, the fluke reaches its definitive host, the human. In the human they reach the liver, which is their final destination. There they feed on bile, and they sexually reproduce to produce eggs every 1-30 seconds. Each worm has its own ovaries and testes, so self fertilization is always possible. However, cross fertilization is more likely. In the human liver, the Chinese Liver Fluke can live for years until its host dies from natural causes or the infection is so severe that the human dies, along with the parasite.