The mature stages may live within the bile ducts for 15-20 years. While there they cause damage of the liver and may cause death of the human host. Eggs are produced by the adult within the bile ducts. The eggs travel through the bile ducts to the digestive tract and pass out of the host in feces. The eggs are ingested by snails, and the cycle is repeated.
Humans can also become infected with a human blood fluke.
Immature stages of this fluke also live within snails. These larvae leave the snail and are present on the ground in areas of poor sanitation. The immature stages enter humans by burrowing through the skin of a human host. The immature flukes enter blood vessels and mature there. They can cause anemia and damage to the liver, bladder, and brain.