infections
Fluke Infections of the Liver
Symptoms of Fluke Liver Infections
At first, liver flukes may cause no symptoms, or depending on the type and severity of the infection, they may cause fever, chills, abdominal pain, liver enlargement, nausea, vomiting, and hives.Fasciolaflukes are more likely to cause these symptoms. Over time, if adult flukes block enough of the bile duct inside or outside the liver, people may develop yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes ( Jaundice in Adults ), itching, diarrhea, and weight loss. Sometimes the flukes damage the liver, causing scarring ( Occasionally, liver flukes infect the wall of the intestine, the lungs, the skin, or the throat. Years later, infected people may develop Tumors of the Bile Ducts and Gallbladder (cholangiocarcinoma). This cancer has occurred in Vietnam veterans, who may have eaten raw or undercooked fresh water fish carrying liver flukes while serving in Southeast Asia. Whether liver fluke infection contributed to the cancer's development in Vietnam veterans is uncertain. 