Adults release fully embryonated eggs each with a fully-developed miracidium, and eggs are passed in the host’s feces. After ingestion by a suitable snail (first intermediate host), the eggs hatch and release miracidia which penetrate the snail’s intestine. Snails of the genus Semisulcospira are the most frequent intermediate host for Metagonimus yokogawai. The miracidia undergo several developmental stages in the snail, i.e. sporocysts , rediae , and cercariae . Many cercariae are produced from each redia. The cercariae are released from the snail and encyst as metacercariae in the tissues of a suitable fresh/brackish water fish (second intermediate host) . The definitive host becomes infected by ingesting undercooked or salted fish containing metacercariae . After ingestion, the metacercariae excyst, attach to the mucosa of the small intestine and mature into adults (measuring 1.0 mm to 2.5 mm by 0.4 mm to 0.75 mm) . In addition to humans, fish-eating mammals (e.g., cats and dogs) and birds can also be infected by M. yokogawai.

	此作品在美國屬於公有領域，因為其是由美國政府的官員或僱員，基於其個人公務目的製作的作品，參考美國法典第17篇第1章第105條。 注意︰本模板僅適用於美國聯邦政府的原創作品，不適用於任何美國州、屬地、聯邦個體、縣、市或任何次級政府的作品。本模板也不適用於1978年以後由美國郵政署出版的郵票圖案（參看美國版權局實踐綱領第313.6(C)(1)條）。也不適用於部分美國硬幣；參看美國鑄幣局使用條款。
此作品無已知的著作權限制，亦不受所有相關和鄰接的權利限制。

https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/PDMCreative Commons Public Domain Mark 1.0falsefalse