Fasciola Gigantica is a parasitic flatworm of the class Trematoda, which causes tropical fascioliasis. It is regarded as one of the most important single platyhelminth infections of ruminants in Asia and Africa. Like many other parasites it affects the internal organs. This means it is classified as an endoparasite (internal parasite).
Breaking down the meaning of Fasciola giantica:
Fasciola: relating the illness fascioliasis which is “infestation of a human or an animal with the liver fluke.” (source: Oxford Dictionary of English)
Liver fluke: “a fluke which has a complex life cycle and is of medical and veterinary importance. The adult lives within the liver tissues of a vertebrate, and the larva within one or more secondary hosts such as a snail or fish.” (Source: Oxford Dictionary of English)
gigantica: “of very great size or extent; huge or enormous: a gigantic concrete tower.”
As you can see the title already outlines what the basics of this species is.
Fasciola: relating the illness fascioliasis which is “infestation of a human or an animal with the liver fluke.” (source: Oxford Dictionary of English)
Liver fluke: “a fluke which has a complex life cycle and is of medical and veterinary importance. The adult lives within the liver tissues of a vertebrate, and the larva within one or more secondary hosts such as a snail or fish.” (Source: Oxford Dictionary of English)
gigantica: “of very great size or extent; huge or enormous: a gigantic concrete tower.”
As you can see the title already outlines what the basics of this species is.
Description:
Adult liver flukes have a flat body and an oval shape, they can reach up to 7.5 cm length. The have a pink-grayish to dark red color. Liver flukes have two suckers, both on the front of the body. The body surface is covered with numerous spines. Liver flukes have no external signs of segmentation. The mouth ends in the pharynx, a muscular tube that allows sucking. The digestive system is blind (i.e. without anus: the only opening is the mouth, meaning it poops out of its mouth) and not linear, as in most animals, but branched, ending in several blind ducts (called caeca). Along the back of the fluke is a spine that can cause inflammation in the host. Liver flukes are simultaneous hermaphrodites, i.e. they have both male and female reproductive organs.
Quick history:
Fasciola gigantica isn't a new mutated fluke. The perhaps more known branch of fasciola is fasciola hepatica. Fasciola hepatica eggs have been found in the livers of mummies in Egypt. In Germany they studied a pelvis from a human skeleton (from about 3000bc) and found eggs from fasciola hepatica.
(for more information visit: https://scholar.google.com.au/scholar?q=eggs+of+fasciola+in+mummies&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart&sa=X&ei=_KZqVdezOdPo8AX1kYLwAw&ved=0CBsQgQMwAA
and
http://web.stanford.edu/group/parasites/ParaSites2001/fascioliasis/Fasciola.htm?_sm_au_=iVVCtpjjFJ76BCkN )