Liver fluke disease and the liver fluke snail - Agriculture Western Australia. Liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica, would be financially devastating to the livestock industries if it became established in Western Australia as eradication would be almost impossible.
Fascioliasis is a disease caused by liver fluke in the liver and bile ducts of sheep and cattle.
However, sheep are more susceptible to the disease than cattle. Horses, deer and goats may also harbour liver fluke and humans too can be infected. A leaf-like parasite, liver fluke has a complex life cycle. Adult flukes are pale brown or greyish-brown in colour and when mature vary from 15 mm to 40 mm in length and up to 12 mm in width. A liver fluke burden can result in deterioration in wool quality, reduced meat and milk production and ill-thrift in young stock.