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Mucus
Fluke worms typically begin their lives when a fluke egg is eaten by a snail. Fluke worms thrive in areas where freshwater snails thrive. Freshwater snails typically live in shallow water, which is a good environment for a fluke. Once a snail eats a fluke egg, the egg then hatches and the baby fluke feeds off of mucus from the snail while it grows. When flukes grow large enough, they exit the snail and swim through shallow water, where they may attach to a fish or a crab, or they may reach grassland where they are eaten by cattle, sheep or other grazers.
Blood Cells
Once a fluke has attached itself to a fish or a large mammal, it begins to feed on blood cells. Flukes can grow large from consuming large amounts of blood. Fluke worms are often called liver flukes because they travel from the intestines into the liver and liver bile. Because they attach themselves to these areas you can often detect liver flukes by testing for eggs in the urine and feces of an animal you suspect is infected.
Body Cells
Liver flukes also thrive off the tissue and body cells of their new hosts. Eating through tissue often causes bleeding and further complications. Liver flukes have been known to travel into the lungs, causing asthma and other breathing problems, as well as traveling to the brain, which is often fatal. Some signs that a liver fluke is causing complications is diarrhea, pain or burning in the stomach or heart region and blood in the urine or feces.
Nutrients From Intestines and Liver
Fluke worms can also feed off of nutrients in the intestines and liver, causing malnutrition. This is especially common in underdeveloped countries where people or animals infected with fluke worms often go untreated. When a fluke worm is feeding off of a person or animal's digesting nutrients, the person or animal may continue to eat but still feel hungry. Weight loss or bloating can occur after a prolonged period of time.