Schistosome

Schistosome, also known as blood flukes, is a platyhelminth that lives in the veins of its hosts and can cause the disease schistosomiasis. When people touch water infected with the parasite, it can puncture their skin, cause inflammation and damage the human organs – especially the liver. It is considered the second most socioeconomically devastating parasitic disease by the World Health Organization, only after malaria, with hundreds of millions infected worldwide.