Nanophyetus salmincola

Nanophyetus salmincola may be the most common trematode endemic to the United States. In particular, the parasite is a food-borne intestinal trematode prevalent in the coast of the Pacific Northwest.

The life cycle of the N. salmincola requires three hosts. The first intermediate host is an Juga plicifera stream snail. The second intermediate host is a salmonid fish, though some non-salmonid fishes also play a role. Lastly, the definitive host is most commonly a canid, though many other mammals are also definitive hosts, including humans. Transmission of N. salmincola to the definitive host occurs upon ingestion of parasite-infected fish.