ABSTRACT
In China there are five species of blood flukes in cattle and buffalo, namely Schistosoma japoniaum, Ornithobiharzia turkestanica, O. turkestanica var. tuversulata, O. bomfordi, and O. cheni. of all the blood flukes, the Schistosoma japonicum is by far the most important because of a serious disease common in humans and animals. S. japonicum has two sexes. The female is longer and more slender than the male and lies in a longitudinal groove of the male. It has been found that two species of snails are the intermediate hosts of this disease in China. This parasite may infect various terrestrial animals; its adaptability varies in different hosts. Since the birth of the new China, a massive investigation has been conducted in the endemic regions. The data showed that the infective rates among snail and man and animal are closely related. In areas where the infective rate is high in the snail, the infection in humans and animals is also high.
