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A fluke or trematode sometimes found in human blood-vessels.

Syn. : Distoma haematobia, Schistosomum haematobium, Distoma capense. A cylindrical worm of the class Trematoda. The male is about half an inch long and the female somewhat longer, but more slender. During copulation the female is lodged in the gynecophoric canal of the male. It is found in the portal vessels and in the veins of the mesentery and of the urinary tract, causing a severe disease, characterized by hematuria, anemia, and diarrhea, endemic in parts of Africa and in the Mauritius. The eggs finally reach the bladder, from which they are voided in the urine and, when supplied with fresh water, the free-swimming larva develops.