FASCIOLA HEPATICA: Sheep Liver Fluke
Hi Sanjean ~~
My first impression of your specimen pics was: Oh, crap ~ oops ~ I meant: old crap ~ just kiddin' ya (hee hee).
My second impression was that they look like prunes. But you said you've been seeing these for months?
It's hard to tell their size ~~ do you recall their dimensions?
The next time you take specimen pics, zoom in for a close-up shot to see details. Also, lay a coin or ruler by it for size reference.
Your first pics look somewhat like layered or stacked flukes:
Your last pics look somewhat like crumpled-up flukes:
Try to pry them apart & spread or flatten them out. If they look like the pics below, they might be Fasciola Hepatica (Sheep Liver Fluke):
F. Hepatica Immature Adults
Praziquantel (Biltricide) is used to kill adult flukes.
Albendazole(Albenza/Valbazen/Eskazole/Zentel) is a systemic drug. It's used to clean-up disseminated or scattered eggs, larva, & cysts leftover in the body from adult flukes killed by Praziquantel.
There are some drug-resistant strains overseas of Fasciola Hepatica (Sheep Liver Fluke) where Praziquantel has limited effectiveness (60% cure rate).
The drug Triclabendazole (Egaten) is used for F. Hepatica in endemic countries overseas (Egypt, N. Africa, Europe, SE Asia, etc). It has an 85% cure rate.
The veterinarian formula of Triclabendazole, Fasinex, is used for livestock. It's also used overseas for humans when Egaten is unavailable.
Triclabendazole (Egaten & Fasinex) is banned for sale or shipment to the US & Canaada. They can be obtained through bootleg sources, but the cost is very pricey (hundreds of $$).
In trials & studies, other drugs tested had varying results: Nitazoxanide, Myrrh (Mirazid), Clorsulon, Bithionol, & Artesunate.
For rare cases of drug-resistant strains of F. Hepatica in the US, a doctor can request Triclabendazole (Egaten) on a special-needs basis from Novartis or Bithionol (Lorothidol or Bitin) from the CDC.
F. Hepatica References:
I have my fingers crossed that your specimens are just poop or other types of flukes.
Anyway, the chances of anyone having a drug-resistant strain of F. Hepatica in the US or Canada are very rare.
Are you going to have these lab tested ~~ or not even bother getting the usual negative results?#!
Keep us updated & post more pics whenever you can.
Cheers ~~ ICU